OPINION OF THE EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK of 2 September 2002 at the request of the Swedish Ministry of

ENOPINION OF THE EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANKof 2 September 2002at the request of the Swedish Ministry of Financeon a draft legislative proposal establishing the National Audit, including proposed amendmentsto the Sveriges Riksbank Act (1988:1385)(CON/2002/22)1. On 4 July 2002, the European Central Bank (ECB) received a request from the SwedishMinistry of Finance for an opinion on a legislative proposal concerning the establishment of anational audit authority, the National Audit (Riksrevisionen), including proposed amendments tothe Sveriges Riksbank Act (1988:1385) (the legislative proposal ).2. The ECB s competence to deliver an opinion is based on Article 105(4) of the Treatyestablishing the European Community and the third indent of Article 2(1) of Council Decision98/415/EC of 29 June 1998 on the consultation of the European Central Bank by national1authorities regarding draft legislative provisions , as the legislative proposal contains provisionsconcerning Sveriges Riksbank. In accordance with the first sentence of Article 17.5 of the Rulesof Procedure of the European Central Bank, the Governing Council of the ECB has adopted thisopinion.3. The legislative proposal intends to replace the existing Parliamentary auditors with a singleaudit body under the Swedish Parliament (riksdagen), the National Audit, through the adoptionof a proposed Act on the audit of State activities etc. (f rslag till lag om revision av statligverksamhet m.m.) (the proposed ...