Education: FEE has submitted its comments to the International Accounting Education Standards Board (IAESB) on the Exposure Drafts on the Proposed IES 2, Initial Professional Development - Technical Competence, view, and IES 3, Initial Professional Development - Professional Skills. View

 

European Council: The European Council has published the conclusions of its meeting held on 18-19 October 2012. In particular EU leaders discussed the process towards completing the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), based on the interim report on EMU. View Main priority was the banking union, to clarify new concepts and test the degree of support for different ideas in view of reaching a conclusion in December. View

 

EU Work Programme 2013: The adopted Commission Work Programme 2013 sets out how the Commission will work for the next year and beyond. Priorities are amongst others: A genuine Economic and Monetary Union and Boosting competitiveness through the Single Market and industrial policy. View

 

IPSASB: The International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board (IPSASB) has released for comment the Consultation Paper, IPSASs and Government Finance Statistics Reporting Guidelines. View Comments are welcome by 31 March 2013. The Consultation Paper aims to help reduce differences between Government Finance Statistics reporting guidelines and International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSASs).

 

Financial Transaction Tax: Following the formal request of 10 Member States (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain), the European Commission has issued, on 23 October 2012, a proposal for a Council Decision authorising enhanced cooperation in the area of financial transaction tax view. For more information please refer to the relevant memo, view, and press release, view, published. The Commission will submit this proposal for discussion at the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) meeting on 13 November 2012. Commissioner Algirdas Šemeta welcomed this positive outcome in his statement. View

 

OECD Model Tax Convention: The OECD Committee on Fiscal Affairs invites public comments on the meaning of beneficial owner in Articles 10, 11 and 12 of the OECD Model Tax Convention. View For further information please view.

 

Anti-corruption and anti-money laundering: The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) held its plenary meeting on 17-19 October 2012 in Paris. View Among other issues, the Plenary revised two Best Practices Papers on Confiscation and Recovery of criminal assets, view, and on Voluntary Tax Compliance programmes, view, as well as the Reference Guide and Information Note on the use of the FATF Recommendations to support the fight against Corruption. View

 

On 19 October 2012, the European Commission has issued a communication regarding the participation of the European Union in the Council of Europe Group of States against Corruption (GRECO). View This Communication sets out how the Commission intends to step up cooperation between the EU and GRECO, following the Commission’s "anti-corruption package" of 6 June 2011. View