The EUROSAI President hosted a dialogue with the President of the European Court of Auditors, followed by a panel discussion with colleagues from the SAIs of the United Kingdom, Latvia, and Portugal, who shared their national perspectives on how SAIs can respond to cost-of-living challenges
EUROSAI President and State Comptroller and Ombudsman of Israel, Mr. Matanyahu Englman, hosted an online seminar held virtually in Jerusalem on 25 February 2026, which drew the participation of 80 heads of SAIs and auditors from EUROSAI member states.
In his opening address, Mr. Englman stated:
"In recent years, many countries have seen a combination of rising prices, stagnant or slowly growing wages, and heightened exposure to global shocks, from the pandemic to energy and supply-chain crises. For large parts of the population, this has translated into a growing gap between incomes and the basic cost of a decent standard of living, with particular consequences for vulnerable groups, young families, and low- and middle-income households. These dynamics have placed the cost of living firmly at the center of public debate and raise the question of how SAIs can contribute their independent perspective to help governments design public interventions that better protect citizens."
The opening address was followed by an inspiring dialogue between the President of EUROSAI and the President of the European Court of Auditors (ECA), Mr. Tony Murphy, who shed light on how the ECA’s audit work has addressed evolving cost-of-living pressures.
EUROSAI Professional Online Session on the Cost of Living
This was followed by a thought-provoking panel with colleagues from three EUROSAI member states: Comptroller and Auditor General of the United Kingdom National Audit Office (NAO), Mr. Gareth Davies; Auditor General of the State Audit Office of Latvia, Mr. Edgars Korčagins; and Judge Ana Furtado of the Portuguese Court of Auditors (Tribunal de Contas). All of them brought their national perspectives on how SAIs can respond to cost-of-living challenges.
Mr. Englman extended his sincere thanks to all panelists and colleagues for sharing their insights and expertise and concluded by saying:
"Our main goal today is to exchange information and reflect on how SAIs can sharpen their tools, increase the relevance of their work, and better support governments and parliaments in designing effective, equitable, and sustainable responses to the cost-of-living challenge. I am confident that the insights, experiences, and recommendations shared in this session will enrich our collective thinking and inspire concrete initiatives and closer cooperation within EUROSAI and with the European Court of Auditors."
