The Role of the French Audit Court (Cour des Comptes) in the Paris Olympics 2024

Abstract

The boundaries between the Olympic Games and independent public spending watchdog institutes (e.g. courts and tribunals’ judiciary and state’s audit institutions) within the international sports globalization have cleared as a result of decades of transparency, accountability and good governance in the Olympic Games’ management and organization. When the Olympic and Paralympic Games as a major international multi-sport event take place at a national jurisdiction, the host nation of the multi-sport event of international significance would blow their budget on fast-track infrastructure and urban-redevelopment projects. While the International Olympic Committee as an international sport governing body of the modern Olympic Games seems to be going backward, considering a recent preliminary ruling of contributing to the financing of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, a host nation sometimes strengthens its independent fiscal oversight and audit frameworks, by increasing transparency and enforcement powers. The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the roles of the French Audit Court (Cour des Comptes) as a supreme audit institute the use of public funds in France and the financial transparency commitment of the International Olympic Committee’s Olympic movement. This paper also discuss recent scenarios of the French legal system and the International Olympic Committee’s international self-regulatory regime. Transparency by public agencies, particularly in clarifying their financial objectives, should also contribute to the financing of the Paris Olympics 2024 effectiveness by enabling the French Audit Court to assess better the context of infrastructure construction and urban-redevelopment policy, thereby combating Corruption and promoting good governance in France.