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Sandra Cristina A. (European Commission, Directorate-General for Budget)

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Back in 1992, when I was taking my accountancy bachelor’s degree in Porto, Portugal, my public accountancy professor explained to us what the then European Community would mean to Portugal (which had joined 6 years earlier) and the impact it would have in the way accountancy, reporting and public accountability were disclosed.

After some years working in the private and public sector in Portugal, I joined the European Commission in 2003, having passed a competition for accounting assistants. I was very excited to come to Brussels as I wanted to be part of the team which was the centre of competence for accounting and financial control of the European Union (EU).

Coming from a country in the western periphery of the EU which has been very dependent on EU aid, I appreciate that my work contributes to good decision-making in the EU and provides stakeholders with meaningful financial information about the use of EU resources.

To achieve this, our team analyses the operational data provided by the different services, DG’s and Institutions and processes it in order to deliver high quality accounting information, on time, efficiently and in an innovative manner. 

As I progressed in my career, I was able to participate in a myriad of projects and to take on new and exciting responsibilities and learn a lot about the diverse financial activities of the Commission and the other EU entities (the European Parliament, EU agencies, etc). 

In case you wonder, there is never a dull moment! Work is complex and challenging but my unit is both young and dynamic: we genuinely enjoy working together so as to support the goals of the EU and celebrating together our achievements, both professional and personal!