Central government accounting harmonization in EU member states: will EPSAS be enough?. Issue 4 (7th June 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sforza, Vincenzo; Cimini, Riccardo
• Is Part Of: Public money & management. Volume 37:Issue 4(2017)
• Page Start: 301
• Page End: 308
• Publication Date: 2017-06-07
• Subjects: Accounting practices -- comparative international governmental accounting -- deficit/surplus measurement -- legal enforcement -- macro- and micro-levels; Finance, Public -- Great Britain -- Periodicals; Great Britain -- Economic policy -- 1945-1964 -- Periodicals; 336.005
• DOI: 10.1080/09540962.2016.1266191
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0954-0962

Abstract

Abstract : A highly controversial topic in the EU is the need for harmonized accrual-based standards to improve the quality of public accounts and reduce differences (adjustments) between the micro-(governmental accounting) and macro- (national accounting) levels. This paper shows that a set of high-quality accounting standards, like the future EPSAS, are not going to be sufficient to overcome the present lack of harmonization. The authors explain why this is the case having researched accounting data from 28 EU member states.