Audit: The European Parliament’s Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) has published amendments to the Draft Opinions of Kay Swinburne on the proposal for a regulation regarding statutory auditing of public-interest entities, view, and on the proposal for a directive on statutory audits of annual accounts and consolidated accounts. View FEE is analysing these and will follow further developments.

 

GRI Annual Report 2011/2012: The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) published its Annual Report 2011/2012, highlighting the continuing growth of sustainability reporting and of public interest in corporate transparency. View

 

Professional Accountants in Business: The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) released for comment by 31 January 2013 the “Professional Accountants in Business Strategy and Work Plan for 2013-2016”. View The strategy and specific initiatives aim to improve recognition of the diverse roles professional accountants in business perform and how they need to be positioned to drive successful and sustainable organisations. For further information, please see the press release. View

 

Ethics: The International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) released additional questions and answers (Q&As), view, to support the adoption and implementation of the IESBA’s Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants. The new Q&As cover issues related to materiality, partner rotation, public interest entities, and network firms, among several other topic areas.

 

Access to finance of SMEs: The European Central Bank (ECB) has published its seventh report on the results of the “Survey on the access to finance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the euro area”. View The report mainly provides evidence on changes in the financial situation, financing needs and access to financing of SMEs in the euro area, compared with large firms, during the preceding six months. It shows that access to bank loans continued to deteriorate. For further information, please see the press release. View

 

VAT: On 16 November 2012 the first EU VAT Forum meeting will take place in Brussels. The EU VAT Forum was set up by the European Commission and is composed of business and tax authorities with the aim to improve the way VAT works in practice. FEE has been appointed as a member of this group and will participate. For further information please visit the dedicated website. View

 

Job vacancies at FEE: FEE is recruiting a Communication and Public Affairs Manager and a Policy Advisor. View Interested applicants should submit their motivation letter and CV to vacancy@fee.be.

 

 

European outreach event on the post-implementation review of IFRS 8, Frankfurt/Main, Germany on 13 November 2012: EFRAG and the German Accounting Standards Committee Das Deutsche Rechnungslegungs Standards Committee organise an European outreach event on the post-implementation review of IFRS 8 Operating Segments and the discussion paper, Towards a Disclosure Framework for the Notes. For detailed information please view.

 

Inheritance Tax Conference, 12 November 2012: The European Commission, together with the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), organises a Conference on "Tackling EU cross-border Inheritance Tax issues" on 12 November 2012. View This event is a follow-up to the Commission's Recommendation of December 2011, to which FEE has contributed. View

2012 SME Assembly: Cyprus will host an Assembly on SME issues in Nicosia on 15 and 16 November 2012 bringing together SMEs; business organisations; European, national and regional government; academia and the media to discuss how to help SMEs ‘Go for Growth’. View

 

Global Conference on Sustainability and Reporting, 22-24 May 2013, Amsterdam: Leaders and practitioners from business, finance, accountancy, consultancy, civil society, government, labor and academia will have the possibility to discuss the key challenges and opportunities on the path to a more sustainable future. For further details please visit the conference website. View