Auditing in addition to compliance monitoring: a way to improve public health

Audits in environmental and industrial safety have already proved effective in protecting the environment and safeguarding economic and occupational health interests. Why should it not be so with regular public health policy audits at the EU and national levels? Besides evaluating the implementation status of the policy, the audits may also effectively check the compliance and adherence on one side and the accountability and honesty of those involved in policy development and implementation on the other. Striving for overall system transparency should be an imperative. In this way, the audits may well prove a success story in contributing to the improved public health status in Europe.