EC Formally Proposes Order Separating Big Four Audit and Consulting Operations

MR - The European Commission (EC) has adopted proposals that, if implemented, will dramatically change the way auditors serve public interest entities (PIE), including banks, insurance companies and publicly listed companies. The proposal prohibits firms from providing non-audit services to audit clients. The rules are particularly restrictive for the Big Four, and will obligate them to separate audit activities from non-audit consulting and advisory practices to avoid potential conflicts of interest with clients. According to the EC, "Big firms represent a very large proportion of PIE audits. It is critical that such audits are conducted in an independent manner without any 'pollution' from other commercial interests." Beyond the separation of audit and advisory operations, the change establishes more stringent governance policies for auditors to strengthen their independence and introduces more competition into the highly-concentrated market for PIE audit services. Included among those additional changes are mandatory auditor rotation; transparent bid tendering; audit committee oversight; EC supervision and international coordination of the audit sector; intra-EC auditor professional practice mobility; and less "red tape" for small and mid-sized audit firms. Audit firms will support many of the proposals, but reject separation of the consulting operations as a solution. They also oppose auditor rotation, which the EC has said is fundamental to reform. Research Note includes EC audit reform proposal, impact assessment and firm responses to the proposed regulatory actions. (1,950 words) . . . (to read the remainder of this article, please log in below.)