Giovanni Coppola and Helga Berger join ESM Board of Auditors

Luxembourg – The Board of Governors of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) has appointed Mr Giovanni Coppola and Ms Helga Berger to the ESM Board of Auditors, for non-renewable three-year terms starting on 8 October 2022 and 17 December 2022 respectively. Mr Coppola was appointed upon nomination by the Italian supreme audit institution (Corte dei Conti), while Ms Berger was appointed upon nomination by the European Court of Auditors. The Board of Auditors is composed of five members, two appointed upon proposal of the Chairperson of the Board of Governors, two upon nomination by the supreme audit institutions of the ESM Members based on a system of rotation, and one upon nomination by the European Court of Auditors.

“I am very pleased to welcome Ms Berger and Mr Coppola to the Board of Auditors, the independent oversight body of the ESM, which plays a significant role in ensuring the trust of our shareholders and the general public,” said Klaus Regling, ESM Managing Director. 

Mr Coppola is President of the Audit Chamber of European and International Affairs at the Corte dei Conti. As a new member of the Board of Auditors, he replaces Mr Ilias Dimitriadis, who was appointed upon nomination by the Greek supreme audit institution (Hellenic Court of Audit), and whose non-renewable term ends on 7 October 2022. Ms Berger, an Austrian national, has been a Member of the European Court of Auditors since 2020. She will replace Mr Baudilio Tomé Muguruza, as a new member of the Board of Auditors as of 17 December 2022. Mr Baudilio Tomé Muguruza was nominated by the European Court of Auditors, and has served as Chairperson of the Board of Auditors since the beginning of his term of office in 2019. 

“I would like to thank Mr Dimitriadis and Mr Tomé for their service and dedication. Mr Tomé has served as a Chairperson of the Board of Auditors over the last three years and regularly engaged with the ESM Board of Governors and Board of Directors. Mr Dimitriadis contributed to the work of the Board of Auditors as a member and Vice-Chairperson. Their efforts added value to the ESM’s oversight framework making its controls stronger and more robust”, said Klaus Regling. The Board of Auditors is an independent body that inspects the ESM accounts and verifies that the operational accounts and the balance sheet are in order. Furthermore, it audits the regularity, compliance, performance and risk management of the ESM in accordance with international auditing standards and monitors and reviews the ESM´s internal and external audit processes and their results.