ESMA announces enforcement priorities for 2016 financial statements

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28 Oct, 2016

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has announced the priority issues that the assessment of listed companies' 2016 financial statements will focus on.

ESMA considers the following key topics to be especially relevant for the examinations of listed companies' financial statements:

  • presentation of financial performance;
  • financial instruments: distinction between equity instruments and financial liabilities; and
  • disclosures of the impact of the new standards on IFRS financial statements.

In addition, taking into consideration the relevance of Brexit for some issuers in Europe, ESMA urges issuers potentially affected by the result of the UK’s referendum to leave the EU to assess and disclose the associated risks and expected impacts it may have on their business activities. ESMA expects that more information about the impact will become available as the date of Brexit approaches.

ESMA and European national enforcers will monitor and supervise the application of the IFRS requirements outlined in the priorities, with national authorities incorporating them into their reviews and taking corrective actions where appropriate. ESMA will collect data on how European listed entities have applied the priorities and will publish its findings in a separate report.

Please click for the following documents on the ESMA website:

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