The XI EUROSAI Congress took place on 14 Abril 2021, hosted by the Czech Republic Supreme Audit Office (SAO), under the leadership of its President, Mr. Miloslav Kala, and carried out online due to the pandemic situation. Together with the Plenary Session of the Congress, the 53^rd and 54^th EUROSAI Governing Board meetings were held (on 14 and 15 April 2021, respectively).

At the beginning of the Congress, the EUROSAI Presidency was handed over by Mr. Seyit Ahmet Baş, from the SAI of Turkey, to the SAI of the Czech Republic, therefore assuming Mr. Miloslav Kala the position of President of EUROSAI.

Among the discussions held and decisions taken during the plenary session of the XI Congress, the following can be highlighted:

• The activity report of the EUROSAI Secretary General (2017-2021) was approved by the Congress.
  
  
• EUROSAI Strategic Goals and Governance Portfolios presented their progress reports (2017-2021) to the Congress:
  
  
• Regarding the Strategic Goals, the overall progress report of the strategic period 2017 - 2021 revealed that a lot had been accomplished during this period, contributing to strengthen EUROSAI as a platform for knowledge sharing, debate and professional development between members. Recommendations for the drafting of the Operational Plan of the Strategic Period 2021-2024 included, among others, the following: simplification of  the EUROSAI Strategic Plan, of the Operational Plan and of the reporting scheme;  reducing the number of data bases; establishing more direct links between the objectives and the results of the Strategic Plan; creation of networks of contacts as new and lighter structures for experience sharing; and a new approach to training management.

• • Regarding the implementation of the Governance Portfolios, their progress reports were presented, detailing the headway made during these four years, and two documents were submitted to the Congress:
    
    
    • A modification of EUROSAI Statutes regarding contributions of members was approved by the Congress. From this moment, the decision adopted at the 52^nd Governing Board on the admission of the National Audit Office of Kosovo* (NAOK) became immediately effective and NAOK joined EUROSAI as a new member.
      
      
    • The EUROSAI Communication Framework was also approved.

• The Congress endorsed the activity reports of EUROSAI’s Working Groups (on Information Technologies, Environmental Auditing and the Audit of Funds Allocated to Disasters and Catastrophes) and Task Forces (on Audit & Ethics and on Municipality). In this regard, the Congress acknowledged the many relevant achievements of Task Force on Audit & Ethics (TFA&E), under the leadership of Tribunal de Contas of Portugal, thanked its members for their commitment and contributions, and considered its activity as closed. The responsibility of building and keeping a new “EUROSAI Network for Ethics” was entrusted to the SAI of Croatia for an initial period of three years. The Congress extended the mandates of the rest of Working Groups and Task Forces for the period 2021-2024 and renewed their respective Chairs. Their work programmes were also approved.

• An update of EUROSAI Strategic Plan (ESP) 2017-2024 was approved by the Congress. The Congress also took note of the updated Memorandum on Enhanced EUROSAI Structure and Governance.
  
  
• The EUROSAI Financial Statements (years 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020) were approved by the Congress, which also took note of the respective auditors’ reports.

• The Budget 2022-2024 (including the annual financial contributions of EUROSAI members) was also approved.

• Voting processes were held to elect key positions in EUROSAI, as a result of which: the SAI of the Israel was elected to host the EUROSAI Congress in the year 2024, and therefore  Mr. Matanyahu Englman was appointed as the First Vice-President of the Governing Board; the SAIs of Lithuania and the United Kingdom were elected members of the EUROSAI Governing Board for a tenure of six years (2021-2027); and the SAIs of Croatia and Bulgaria were renewed as auditors of EUROSAI, for the financial periods 2021-2023.

• The Congress took note of the reports by the INTOSAI General Secretariat and by INTOSAI Development Initiative, in the framework of the close cooperation with EUROSAI.

• As part of the celebration of the 30^th anniversary of EUROSAI, the especial publication prepared by the SAI of the Czech Republic was presented, together with a commemorative video of former Presidencies (the SAIs of Italy, Czech Republic, France, Russian Federation, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands and Turkey) and Secretaries General, including congratulation messages from INTOSAI and other of its Regional Organizations. A crystal cube was also presented to former Presidencies, in recognition and appreciation for their decisive contribution to the Organisation.

Participants stressed their appreciation of the excellent and innovative organization of the Congress, which resulted in a very successful event and an outstanding example on how to do virtual events.

* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.