Petra is head of the unit that deals with all financial matters related to projects as well as programme finances. She also manages the tasks of the team related to financial control and audits. The finance team’s responsibilities range from advising project lead applicants and lead partners on financial matters, assessing project proposals, monitoring running projects with a focus on financial and first level control matters and making payments to the Lead partners in cooperation with the Certifying Authority after approval of the progress reports. The finance team is also assisting the Member States Switzerland and Norway in setting up and implementing their first level control system and supports the Group of Auditors and the Audit Authority in all audit related matters, especially the sample checks on operations.

Before joining the secretariat in 2003, Petra worked for an international audit firm in Germany where she was involved in the audit of European programmes financed from the Structural Funds.

Petra studied English, French and Politics at the Universities of Hannover (Germany) and Lille (France). She also holds a Masters degree in European studies from the College of Europe in Bruges (Belgium).

Petra speaks German, English and French.