Council Decision of 18 October 1977 appointing the Members of the Court of Auditors (77/656/EEC, Euratom, ECSC). This Decision refers to the initial appointment of the Members of the Court. They are appointed for a six-year term. However, for this initial appointment, in order to avoid having to renew the entire college, four Members, chosen by the drawing of lots, received a mandate limited to four years.

Following the accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden to the European Communities on 1 January 1995, the Court of Auditors is composed of fifteen Members (Article 13 of the Council Decision 95/1/EC, Euratom, ECSC).

European Parliament Resolution of 19 January 1995 on the procedures to be followed for the consultation of Parliament with regard to the nomination of the Members of the Court of Auditors. Members of the Court of Auditors are nominated by the Council after simple consultation with the European Parliament. However, the Parliament would prefer the nomination of Members of the Court of Auditors to take place with its assent and has called, therefore, for a power of codecision with the Council in this regard. However, this possibility was retained neither during the drawing up of the Treaty of 22 July 1975, nor by the 1996 intergovernmental conference.

The oath-swearing by the Members of the Court of Auditors completes the appointment procedure. With a solemn statement before the Court of Justice of the European Communities, the new Members undertake to respect the obligations arising from their office.

Speech by Jan O. Karlsson, President of the European Court of Auditors, delivered on 8 March 2000 on the occasion of the swearing-in ceremony for four new Members of the Court.

This film, produced in 2004, demonstrates the composition of the European Court of Auditors.

The European Court of Auditors consists of one national from each Member State of the European Union, and these Members form a college. Initially, there were nine Members. They are appointed for a six-year renewable term. However, when the first appointments were made, four Members of the Court received a mandate limited to four years in order to avoid the need to renew the entire college in the future. If a Member ends his duties by resigning, the vacancy caused is filled for the remainder of the Member's term in office.

The nine Members making up the European Court of Auditors from 11 November 1977 to 31 December 1980.

The ten Members making up the European Court of Auditors from 18 October 1981 to 17 April 1983.

The ten Members making up the European Court of Auditors from 18 October 1984 to 26 January 1986.

The twelve Members making up the European Court of Auditors from 18 May 1986 to 17 October 1987.

The twelve Members making up the European Court of Auditors from 21 December 1989 to 20 December 1992.

The twelve Members making up the European Court of Auditors from 1 January 1993 to 9 February 1994.

The fifteen Members making up the European Court of Auditors from 1 March 1995 to 31 December 1995.

The fifteen Members making up the European Court of Auditors from 1 January 1996 to 29 February 2000.

The fifteen Members making up the European Court of Auditors from 1 March 2000 to 31 December 2001.

Group photo of the Members of the Court of Auditors who took office on 1 January 2002. Standing at the back (from left to right): Morten Louis Levysohn (Denmark), Hedda von Wedel (Germany), Vítor Manuel da Silva Caldeira (Portugal), Robert Reynders (Belgium), Maarten B. Engwirda (Netherlands), Jean-François Bernicot (France), Máire Geoghegan-Quinn (Ireland), Lars Tobisson (Sweden), David Bostock (United Kingdom) and Ioannis Sarmas (Greece). Seated at the front (from left to right): Aunus Salmi (Finland), Giorgio Clemente (Italy), Juan Manuel Fabra Vallés (Spain), Hubert Weber (Austria) and François Colling (Luxembourg).

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).