EU Repeats Cry for Greater Representation on IASB

Brussels (March 1, 2005) - The European Union has reiterated its call for more "home-grown" representation in drafting international accounting standards.

The E.U. has demanded more that the current five seats it has on the International Accounting Standards Board, claiming that as of Jan. 1, it was the first to use the international accounting rules ahead of the U.S.

At the start of the new year, all publicly traded companies within the 25-nation E.U. were require to use international rules.

Last week, former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, who serves as chair of the IASB overseer committee, said that Europe was "sufficiently represented on the board," and instead of boosting European representation, more consideration should be given to countries such as India, China and Japan.

Both the U.S. and the E.U. have five seats on the IASB. In a speech before a gathering of accounting professionals, Volcker said that representation on the IASB shouldn't be based on "national, political or sectoral interests."

— WebCPA staff