EC opinions on consolidated and separate statements

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20 Feb 2007

At the 2 February 2007 meeting of the European Commission's Accounting Regulatory Committee, the Commission presented two final interpretive opinions dealing respectively with the meaning of 'annual accounts' and the possibility to issue annual accounts prepared in accordance with IFRS before consolidated ones.

Both relate to application of the requirements of IAS 27 Consolidated and Separate Financial Statements within the European Union:
  • If a parent company in the EU is not required by the Seventh Directive to prepare consolidated accounts, can it issue IFRS 'annual accounts' (its own separate financial statements) in conformity with IFRSs? In almost all circumstances, if a company is a parent, IAS 27 requires the preparation of consolidated financial statements. Under IAS 27, the parent's separate financial statements are an additional set of financial statements not required by IAS 27. The Commission has concluded, however, that the Seventh Directive takes precedence in Europe in determining when consolidated statements must be prepared. Therefore, if the Seventh Directive does not require consolidated financial statements, a parent company can prepare its separate financial statements using IFRSs. The Commission's view is that "the IAS 27 requirements to prepare consolidated accounts do not apply." Click for Commission's Opinion (PDF 25k).
  • Can a company that prepares both individual and consolidated accounts in accordance with IFRSs adopted for use in Europe issue the individual accounts before issuing the consolidated accounts? In rejecting an agenda topic in March 2006, the IFRIC concluded that separate financial statements issued before consolidated financial statements could not be considered to comply with IFRSs, because separate financial statements are required by IAS 27 paragraph 42 to identify the consolidated financial statements to which they relate. However, the European Commission has concluded that the interpretation under the EU IAS Regulation is different. If a company chooses or is required to prepare its annual accounts in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the EU, it is permitted to prepare and file them independently from the preparation and filing of its consolidated accounts – and thus in advance – where the national law transposing the Directives requires or permits separate publication. Click for Commission's Opinion (PDF 25k).

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