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Wrangle over SME standards

Sep 28 2007

Following the decision of the EU to reject the International Accounting Standards Board's (IASB) standards proposal, SME's across are Europe are in the dark over their own obligations.

The IASB draft was slammed by EU internal markets commissioner Charlie McCreevy at a public meeting in Lisbon

Mr McCreevy says: ‘The feedback we have received from member states, the European Parliament and stakeholders is that the current IASB draft is not simple enough to be applicable for the bulk of SMEs in the EU.

'At this stage, I do not intend to propose that the IASB draft be endorsed for application in the EU.'

However an awkward stand off has developed between the standards agency and the EU with the Accounting Standards Boards (ASB) backing the plans.

The ASB said in a letter to the IASB: 'On the evidence of the feedback the ASB has received, it is disappointing that the commission appears to be taking such a negative stance.'

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