At the third Summit of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), held on 9 and 10 July 1992 in Helsinki, the Heads of State or Government of the participating states decide to develop the structures for conflict prevention and crisis management in the CSCE region, particularly through the creation of the post of High Commissioner on National Minorities.

Mario Sepi, président du Comité économique et social depuis octobre 2008.

Vítor Manuel da Silva Caldeira, President of the European Court of Auditors since 16 January 2008.

On 27 November 2008, an exhibition presenting the 30 years of the European Court of Auditors is opened at the European Information Centre in Luxembourg. The photo shows, from left to right: Henri Grethen, Luxembourg Member of the Court, and Vítor Manuel da Silva Caldeira, President of the Court.

Group photo of the Members of the Court of Auditors who took office on 7 May 2004. Back row (from left to right): Kersti Kaljulaid (Estonia), Igors Ludboržs (Latvia), Josef Bonnici (Malta), Irena Petruškeviciene (Lithuania), Jan Kinšt (Czech Republic), Kikis Kazamias (Cyprus) and Jacek Uczkiewicz (Poland); third row: Gejza Halász (Hungary), Július Molnár (Slovakia), Morten Louis Levysohn (Denmark), Ioannis Sarmas (Greece) and Vojko Anton Antoncic (Slovenia); second row: Hedda von Wedel (Germany), Vítor Manuel da Silva Caldeira (Portugal), Juan Manuel Fabra Vallés (Spain), Máire Geoghegan-Quinn (Ireland), Lars Tobisson (Sweden) and David Bostock (United Kingdom); first row: Robert Charles Reynders (Belgium), Maarten B. Engwirda (Netherlands), Aunus Salmi (Finland), Hubert Weber (Austria), Giorgio Clemente (Italy), François Colling (Luxembourg) and Jean-François Bernicot (France).

Group photo of the Members of the Court of Auditors who took office on 1 March 2006. Back row (from left to right): Massimo Vari (Italy), Juan Ramallo Massanet (Spain), Olavi Ala-Nissilä (Finland), Lars Heikensten (Sweden) and Karel Pinxten (Belgium); fourth row: Irena Petruškeviciene (Lithuania), Igors Ludboržs (Latvia), Jan Kinšt (Czech Republic), Kersti Kaljulaid (Estonia) and Kikis Kazamias (Cyprus); third row: Július Molnár (Slovakia), Vojko Anton Antoncic (Slovenia), Gejza Halász (Hungary), Jacek Uczkiewicz (Poland) and Josef Bonnici (Malta); second row: Vítor Manuel da Silva Caldeira (Portugal), Hedda von Wedel (Germany), David Bostock (United Kingdom), Morten Louis Levysohn (Denmark) and Ioannis Sarmas (Greece); first row: Jean-François Bernicot (France), François Colling (Luxembourg), Hubert Weber (Austria), Maarten B. Engwirda (Netherlands) and Máire Geoghegan-Quinn (Ireland).

Group photo of the Members of the Court of Auditors who took office on 1 January 2007. Back row (from left to right): Juan Ramallo Massanet (Spain), Olavi Ala-Nissilä (Finland), Lars Heikensten (Sweden), Karel Pinxten (Belgium), Ovidiu Ispir (Romania) and Nadezhda Sandolova (Bulgaria); fourth row: Irena Petruškeviciene (Lithuania), Igors Ludboržs (Latvia), Jan Kinšt (Czech Republic), Kersti Kaljulaid (Estonia) and Kikis Kazamias (Cyprus); third row: Július Molnár (Slovakia), Vojko Anton Antoncic (Slovenia), Gejza Halász (Hungary), Jacek Uczkiewicz (Poland) and Josef Bonnici (Malta); second row: Vítor Manuel da Silva Caldeira (Portugal), Hedda von Wedel (Germany), David Bostock (United Kingdom), Morten Louis Levysohn (Denmark) and Ioannis Sarmas (Greece); first row: Jean-François Bernicot (France), François Colling (Luxembourg), Hubert Weber (Austria), Maarten B. Engwirda (Netherlands) and Máire Geoghegan-Quinn (Ireland).

Group photo of the Members of the Court of Auditors who took office on 1 January 2008. Back row (from left to right): Michel Cretin (France), Harald Noack (Germany) and Henri Grethen (Luxembourg); fourth row: Olavi Ala-Nissilä (Finland), Lars Heikensten (Sweden), Karel Pinxten (Belgium) and Ovidiu Ispir (Romania); third row: Igors Ludboržs (Latvia), Jan Kinšt (Czech Republic), Kersti Kaljulaid (Estonia), Kikis Kazamias (Cyprus), Massimo Vari (Italy), Nadezhda Sandolova (Bulgaria) and Juan Ramallo Massanet (Spain); second row: Július Molnár (Slovakia), Vojko Anton Antoncic (Slovenia), Gejza Halász (Hungary), Jacek Uczkiewicz (Poland), Josef Bonnici (Malta), Irena Petruškeviciene (Lithuania) and Ioannis Sarmas (Greece); first row: Morten Louis Levysohn (Denmark), Máire Geoghegan-Quinn (Ireland), Hubert Weber (Austria), Vítor Manuel da Silva Caldeira (Portugal), Maarten B. Engwirda (Netherlands) and David Bostock (United Kingdom).

Photo illustrating the work of the Members of the European Court of Auditors at a water treatment plant in Thessalonica, Greece.

One of the characteristics of the working methods of the Members of the European Court of Auditors is to go and investigate directly on the ground.