TY - BOOK ED - World Bank Group. ED - World Bank Group. TI - Corporate Sector Accounting and Auditing in the EU Acquis Communautaire, 3rd Edition T2 - Other papers PY - 2016/// CY - Washington, D.C. PB - The World Bank KW - Accounting KW - Arbitrage KW - Bank Accounts KW - Banking Sector KW - Capital Markets KW - Capital Requirements KW - Competitiveness and Competition Policy KW - Contracts KW - Corporate Governance KW - Corporate Law KW - Credibility KW - Debt KW - Default KW - Equity KW - Finance KW - Finance and Financial Sector Development KW - Financial Crisis KW - Financial Institutions KW - Financial Management KW - Financial Regulation & Supervision KW - Financial Stability KW - Fraud KW - Human Resources KW - Income Tax KW - Inflation KW - Insurance KW - Law and Development KW - Legal Framework KW - Living Standards KW - Loans KW - Market Economy KW - Private Sector Development KW - Risk Management KW - Securities KW - Small Businesses KW - Trade Liberalization KW - Transparency KW - Treaties N2 - This report reflects significant changes in European Union (EU) corporate financial reporting since 2011. In June 2013, a new accounting directive was adopted, replacing the fourth and seventh directives on company law. A directive amending the 2006 audit directive and a new audit regulation addressing oversight of the most significant audits were adopted in April 2014. The new legislation, summarized in this guide, is a result of several years of drafting and discussions following the financial crisis of 2008 and it represent a landmark in the EU's efforts to strengthen its corporate sector accounting and auditing. The accounting directive seeks to enhance the quality of financial reporting and expand it, especially with regard to public interest entities, while reducing the administrative burden for smaller companies. The new audit reporting requirements introduced by the regulation are expected to increase the usefulness of statutory audits of public interest entities, such as listed companies, credit institutions, and insurance undertakings, and reduce risks of excessive familiarity between statutory auditors and their clients, encourage professional skepticism, and limit conflicts of interest. The audit directive and the regulation will bring more consistency in audit oversight and quality assurance systems across Europe. Implementation will involve significant challenges and require increased resources to ensure systems function effectively UR - http://elibrary.worldbank.org/doi/book/10.1596/24427 ER -