Technical Hub

Welcome to this week’s Technical Roundup.  In developments this week, over the recent months, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales published a series of reviews of major standards looking at the differences between International Financial Reporting Standards and International Public Sector Accounting Standards and the suitability of each in public sector financial reporting. The fourth and final part of the series has now been released; EFRAG, BusinessEurope, and the IASB will host a joint webinar on 10 December 2021 on the IASB’s exposure draft 'Disclosure Requirements in IFRS Standards—A Pilot Approach (Proposed amendments to IFRS 13 and IAS 19)'. Read more on these and other developments that may be of interest to members below. Financial Reporting The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) has published the exposure draft 'Supplier Finance Arrangements (Proposed amendments to IAS 7 and IFRS 7)' to enhance the transparency of supplier finance arrangements and their effects on a company’s liabilities and cash flows. The deadline for submitting comments is 28 March 2022. The IFRS Foundation has issued a monthly news summary for November 2021. EFRAG has completed its due process regarding amendments to IAS 12 and has submitted its Endorsement Advice Letter to the European Commission, recommending it’s endorsement. The Amendments revise IAS 12 to require entities not to apply the IAS 12 initial recognition exemption to transactions that, on initial recognition, give rise to equal and taxable temporary differences. The objective of the Amendments is to reduce the diversity that currently exists in practice. EFRAG, BusinessEurope, and the IASB will host a joint webinar on 10 December 2021 on the IASB’s exposure draft 'Disclosure Requirements in IFRS Standards—A Pilot Approach (Proposed amendments to IFRS 13 and IAS 19)'. In Accountancy Europe’s recent podcast entitled “Sustainability will never do without Governments”, senior manager Paul Gisby discussed sustainability reporting standards for the public sector and where this might lead to in the future, including the potential role of the accountant. The European Banking Authority (EBA) has published a report summarising the findings arising from the monitoring activities on the IFRS 9 implementation by EU institutions. EBA notes significant efforts in IFRS 9 implementation by EU institutions, but cautions on some of the observed accounting practices, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. IFAC’s Professional Accountants in Business (PAIB) Advisory Group has compiled insights on how accountants are contributing to value creation and sustainability in their organizations in both the private and public sectors in a new report, The Role of Accountants in Mainstreaming Sustainability. A study published as part of the working paper series of the European Banking Institute (EBI) looks at COVID-19 disclosures in half-year and year-end financial statements 2020 of European banks. ESMA, EBA, IOSCO and IASB communicated in the second quarter of 2020 their expectations on disclosure regarding the pandemic’s impact in order to meet the objective of the IFRS to provide decision-useful information to stakeholders. Over the recent months, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) published a series of reviews of major standards looking at the differences between International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSASB), and the suitability of each in public sector financial reporting. The fourth and final part of the series has now been released. Auditing The FRC has published a Collection of Perspectives, following the FRC Culture Conference held in June 2021 that brought together a wide range of international experts to explore the important link between culture and high-quality audit.     The Collection of Perspectives includes contributions from academics, audit firms, directors, regulators, culture change experts and other parties within the audit ecosystem.   The publication serves to highlight consensus between contributors, as well as thoughts on best practice to encourage learning and continuous improvement in developing a culture to improve audit quality.   The full Collection of Perspectives is available here. A summary from the FRC’s Culture Conference is available here. FRC encouraged by reporting by applicants on Stewardship FRC has published ‘Effective Stewardship Reporting: Examples from 2021 and expectations for 2022’ which analyses reports from the first signatories to the revised Code published in September 2021. There continues to be high quality of disclosures in the areas of governance, resourcing, and the integration of stewardship and ESG factors with investment. However, there is still room for improvement in explaining how they manage stewardship-related conflicts of interest, how managers review and assure their stewardship activities, and how they monitor and hold to account service providers operating on their behalf. Insolvency The Irish network of The International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC) is hosting its first webinar ‘A look back on key restructuring and insolvency developments in 2021’ on Thursday, 9 December. Registration details can be found here. Anti-Money laundering, Fraud and Cybercrime The Institute of International Finance and Deloitte have recently published a White Paper which highlights four focus areas where continued reform can build on progress already underway globally to help improve the effectiveness of the anti-financial crime framework: 1. the use of financial intelligence; 2. risk prioritization; 3. technology and innovation; and 4. international cooperation and capacity building. This paper also highlights important instances of ongoing systemic improvements, how similar efforts can be deployed across jurisdictions, and how policymakers could prioritize international cooperation and coherence. The paper is entitled “The effectiveness of financial crime risk management -reform and next steps on a global basis”. Read also Grant Thornton’s recently available report on The Economic Cost of Cybercrime Ireland 2021. A video of their recent “Economic Cost of Cybercrime”  webinar ,where the report was launched ,is available to view here. The Financial Action Task Force has recently published its Annual Report 2020-2021   . Read about FATF’s achievements under the first year of its German Presidency including the publication of two reports analysing the opportunities and challenges of new technologies, a report into money laundering from environmental crime, which concluded that most countries are failing to assess this area as part of national or money laundering risk assessments and a report on ethnically or racially motivated terrorist financing. Members may be interested in a webinar FATF is holding on Proliferation Financing Risk Assessment and Mitigation on 16th December. Proliferation Financing is financing for the malicious use of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear materials and weapons. You can register here  for the webinar. Other Areas of Interest The Pensions Authority has previously advised that from 1 December 2021, trustees must notify the Authority when they enter an outsourcing arrangement for the provision of the internal audit and risk management key functions. Trustees who have entered these arrangements since 22 April 2021 must also notify the Authority. The Authority has now issued instructions on how to notify  it of the arrangements. The Pensions Authority has also recently issued an information note on various regulations signed by the Minister for Social Protection on 25 November 2021. The regulations make amendments to existing regulations under the Pensions Act 1990, as amended, in relation to disclosure, scheme registration, trustee investment qualifications, funding standard, cross-border requirements, and bulk transfers; and revoke and replace the existing investment-related regulations under that Act. Click here for the link to the website which gives further information and links to the regulations. The Central Bank recently issued its Cross Industry Guidance on Operational Resilience. The pandemic has put firms’ operational resilience to the test and highlighted the importance of being more operationally resilient. The guide applies to regulated financial service providers and communicates how to prepare for, respond to, recover and learn from an operational disruption that affects the delivery of critical or important business services. It is also to communicate the Central Bank’s expectations in this regard. The Central Bank recently published its second financial stability review of 2021 which outlines key risks facing the financial system and the Central Bank’s assessment of the resilience of the economy and financial system to adverse shocks. Findings show that economic recovery has continued over the past six months, but more medium-term vulnerabilities have been building up. You can read full details of the review here  and the Central Bank Governor’s remarks on the publication here. HMRC recently issued its Modern slavery statement. This statement details the work HMRC is currently undertaking to eliminate modern slavery in supply chains and to ensure modern slavery risks are identified and managed. The Government has recently agreed that the Dept. for Public Expenditure and Reform undertakes a review of the statutory framework for ethics in public life before it brings forward proposals for legislative reform in 2022.The Dept. has issued a consultation document entitled “Reform and Consolidation of Ireland’s Statutory Framework for Ethics in Public Life” which gives background to the current framework and a proposed policy approach. The Dept is seeking views on a number of questions in the consultation document .Please follow the link to the consultation and document. Submissions can be made up to 5pm on Thursday 23rd of December 2021. A short informative video is now available to view from the A &L Goodbody Corporate Crime Regulation Summit 2021 .Here Ian Drennan of the ODCE talks to Kenan Furlong of ALG  about the ODCE’s work and the imminent establishment of the Corporate Enforcement  Authority which is expected to be established by year end .Ian Drennan talks about the resourcing increase for the new Authority, new powers (which will come on stream over time ) and the important part that technology plays in their work. The European Data Protection Supervisor recently issued its monthly newsletter .It announces its proposed summer 2022 Data Protection conference, “the future of data protection: effective enforcement in the digital world”, it highlights a report on “Biometric And Behavioural Mass Surveillance In EU Member States”  and it comments on a European Digital Identity Wallet. For further technical information and updates please visit the Technical Hub and the Covid-19 Hub on the Institute website. 

Welcome to this week’s Technical Roundup.  In developments this week, The International Accounting Standards Board has proposed narrow-scope amendments to IAS 1 to improve information that companies provide about long-term debts with covenants. The Exposure Draft is open for comment until 21 March 2022; The Pensions Authority recently published its code of Practice for Trustees giving guidance on duties and responsibilities. It also published its response to the consultation on the Code of practice which took place in July this year. Read more on these and other developments that may be of interest to members below.  Financial Reporting The FRC Lab have published the 10th anniversary issue of their newsletter. The newsletter includes a timeline of the Lab’s work in the ten years since it was formed with links to the reports issued on its 30 projects to date. In its recently issued report “Annual Review of Corporate Governance”, which focuses on how UK premium listed companies have reported on their application of the 2018 UK Corporate Governance Code, the FRC noted a general improvement in reporting against the Code. The report highlights areas of high-quality reporting, however, there is still room for further improvement in areas such as substantive disclosures on Board appointments, succession planning and diversity. The report also found that more focus on reporting the effectiveness of internal control and risk management systems would enhance the level of confidence in the company’s control framework.   The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) has proposed narrow-scope amendments to IAS 1 to improve information that companies provide about long-term debts with covenants. The Exposure Draft is open for comment until 21 March 2022. The IASB has also issued its November 2021 update and updated work plan. An International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) publication entitled “Sustainability Information for Small Businesses: The Opportunity for Practitioners” examines the importance of readily available, relevant, and reliable sustainability information for achieving better-informed decisions, enhanced strategic and risk management, and more thorough and valuable reporting to external stakeholders. It also highlights a range of emerging services that practitioners can provide to their clients, including advisory services, reporting, agreed-upon procedures (AUP) engagements, and assurance services. In June 2021, EFRAG launched a public consultation on the requirements EFRAG plans to follow in its role as technical advisor to the European Commission in the preparation of European sustainability reporting standards envisioned in the draft Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive. A summary of the responses to the consultation is now available. The European Union has published a Commission Regulation endorsing IFRS 17 Insurance Contracts including the 2020 amendments. The Standard is effective for annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2023. IFRS 17 replaces IFRS 4  Insurance Contracts and is designed to ensure that an entity provides relevant information that faithfully represents insurance contracts. This information would provide a basis for users of financial statements to assess the effect that insurance contracts have on the entity’s financial position, financial performance and cash flows. The endorsement is now reflected in EFRAG’s updated Endorsement Status Report. Audit Accountancy Europe’s November Audit Policy Update compiles some recent articles including “Non-audit services and auditor’s independence”, “ESEF in Practice” and other interesting articles. Accountancy Europe have also issued a Q&A section covering audit, auditors and audit supervision to inform the European policy debate.  Other Areas of Interest The Minister for Finance has recently published terms of reference  for a retail banking review. The terms of reference require a wide-ranging review including structural changes stemming from fintech and digital finance, which are disrupting the traditional model, the implications of Covid-19 and Brexit and the provision of sustainable lending to the SME sector. The review will involve extensive consultation with stakeholders and will include a public consultation to invite views from the public and stakeholders on the key aspects of the review. The review team will present its draft report to the Minister in November 2022. HM Treasury in the UK has recently published  the Anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing: Supervision Report 2019-20. This report provides information about the performance of AML/CTF supervisors in the UK between 6 April 2019 – 5 April 2020.The report shows improvement in various areas of supervision and Treasury and the AML/CTF supervisors remain committed to further strengthening their approach and tightening the UK’s defences against money laundering. A UK government representative recently gave a speech at the launch of the National Cyber Security Centre Annual Review 2021 Launch. It referred to the pandemic pivot and the proliferation of scams as a result, the fight by industry and government against cybercrime and the increase this year in the National Cyber Security Programme budget. The Central Bank Deputy Governor spoke recently at the Association of Compliance Officers in Ireland. He spoke of the need for regulated firms to have a better consideration of risk over the longer term. He called on boards and executives to act now in relation to the climate crisis. He also spoke of technological disruption, regulatory change and the Central Bank policy over the next 5 years. Also, the Central Bank Director of Financial Regulation spoke recently at the Business and Finance FS Leaders’ Summit on Financial Regulation in support of the economy and economic wellbeing. Readers can read his speech here. During the month of November the Central Bank published its newsletter the Intermediary Times containing information of interest to that sector . The Pensions Authority recently published its code of Practice for Trustees giving guidance on duties and responsibilities. It also published its response to the consultation on the Code of practice which took place in July this year and to which it received 38 responses.   The Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment in Ireland recently published a draft Sick Leave Bill which if passed will provide for an entitlement to a minimum period of paid sick leave for all employees. Details of a regulatory impact assessment of the draft legislation was done in May of this year and details of that assessment can be viewed here. HMRC in the UK has recently issued its annual report and accounts 2020 to 2021 which contains a  summary of HMRC’s performance in the period and  includes its  vision, objectives, commitments, risks and outcomes. For further technical information and updates please visit the Technical Hub and the Covid-19 Hub on the Institute website. 

Welcome to this week’s Technical Roundup. In developments this week, the Financial Reporting Council and Financial Conduct Authority have jointly written to CEOs of UK issuers who are required to start producing their 2021 annual financial reports in a structured electronic format; the Committee of European Auditing Oversight Bodies has issued revised “CEAOB guidelines on the auditors’ involvement on financial statements in European Single Electronic Format (ESEF)”. They replace the initial guidelines issued by the CEAOB in 2019. Read more on these and other developments that may be of interest to members below. Financial Reporting The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) have published a staff factsheet on climate related matters to assist preparers of annual reports under FRS 102 The factsheet provides guidance on how climate-related matters may impact a set of financial statements. The first part of this factsheet outlines the ways in which climate related matters may impact a set of financial statements prepared under FRS 102 and the second part summarises current and proposed legislative requirements applicable to companies in the UK in relation to climate and associated matters. The FRC and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) have jointly written to CEOs of UK issuers who are required to start producing their 2021 annual financial reports in a structured electronic format. The letter reminds such entities of their obligations and of the FRC and FCA’s quality expectations. The European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) have issued a detailed five-month status report outlining the progress to date for the elaboration of sustainability reporting standards following the recommendations of the Project Task Force on European sustainability reporting standards. The International Accounting Standards Board have announced that they expect to publish the Exposure Draft Non-current Liabilities with Covenants on 19 November 2021. The UK Endorsement Board (UKEB) has published its [Draft] Endorsement Criteria Assessment: IFRS 17 Insurance Contracts and welcomes stakeholders’ views on the potential adoption of IFRS 17 for use in the UK. The comment period runs to 3 February 2022.    The UKEB has also launched a survey on subsequent measurement of goodwill and are keen to hear views. You can take part in the survey until 26 November here. The UKEB invites stakeholders to attend a series of upcoming roundtables as it develops its response to the following IASB consultations: Post Implementation Review – IFRS 9 Financial Instruments, Classification & Measurement ED/20212/7 Subsidiaries Without Public Accountability: Disclosures Auditing A new report from the UK Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has set out the key elements required by audit firms to ensure they are delivering high quality audit. The Committee of European Auditing Oversight Bodies (CEAOB) has issued revised “CEAOB guidelines on the auditors’ involvement on financial statements in European Single Electronic Format (ESEF)”. They replace the initial guidelines issued by the CEAOB in 2019.  ESEF is the new electronic reporting format for annual financial reports published by issuers whose securities are admitted to trading on a regulated market in the European Union for financial years beginning on or after 1 January 2021. Other Areas of Interest The Pensions Authority has published FAQs on  investment and borrowing for one-member arrangements under the Pensions Act, 1990, as amended. It has also given notice of forthcoming information on  final Code of Practice and guidance for one-member arrangements (OMAs) during this week, instructions on outsourcing notification, guidance for the public and employers about the minimum standards they should expect from master trust vehicles and a findings report from the Authority’s engagements with master trust, DB and DC schemes during December .We will bring you details when published. The organisation, Irish Rule of Law International (a joint initiative of the Law Societies and Bars of Ireland and  Northern Ireland), is running a commercial law conference on November 25th.Readers may be interested in the paper on “Recent Developments Concerning Auditors Liability” by Gerard Sadlier and spoken to by Michael Coonan of McCann FitzGerald LLP. Tickets cost from €10-€30 euro and the conference can be booked here . The Public Interest Law Alliance together with a number of law firms is promoting Pro Bono week from 22nd to 26th November. Readers may be interested in the session on Implementing the Charities Governance Code on Wednesday, November 24 2021 - 12:00pm to 1:15 pm where legal professionals will discuss the Code, the organisational role played by trustees, the essential elements of good governance, the key legal duties of charity trustees, and provide tips to NGO's for compliance. The Decision Support Service (DSS) has launched a number of consultations recently as part of its preparations for the commencement of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015. One of the consultations is on the code of practice for financial professionals and financial service providers. This code will provide guidance for financial professionals and financial service providers on how to engage with and advise customers who are relevant persons under the 2015 Act. It also provides guidance on working with decision supporters and interveners.   You can access the draft code here. Feedback can be given by completing the online questionnaire or by downloading the questionnaire. The DSS asks that the financial professional draft code be read alongside the main  Code of Practice on Supporting Decision-making and Assessing Capacity. The consultation closes at 5pm on Friday 7 January 2022.   The Central Bank Governor recently spoke at a round table event focused on the changing landscape of the financial system, including issues such as the impact of climate change, technology and the need for firms and regulators to be future-ready. He said greenwashing was an area of concern as ‘green’ market practices are currently almost exclusively based on voluntary principles and standards, which leaves a lot of room for different interpretations. The Central Bank Director of Financial Regulation also spoke about climate change in his recent speech delivered at Irish Association of Corporate Treasurers (IACT) Annual Conference. In other Central Bank news, feedback on a consultation paper on engaging with stakeholders  from earlier in the year is now available .Also, the Central Bank recently published its Anti Money laundering bulletin focussing on Fund and Fund Management companies . For further technical information and updates please visit the Technical Hub and the Covid-19 Hub on the Institute website. 

Welcome to this week’s Technical Roundup.  In developments this week, IAASA has published a consultation on its intention to amend the definition of ‘listed entity’ in its Glossary of Terms, which defines the terms used in the Irish auditing and assurance standards; the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the EU’s securities markets regulator, has published its latest edition of its Spotlight on Markets Newsletter. Read more on these and other developments that may be of interest to members below. Financial Reporting In their October 2021 monthly podcast, Andreas Barckow and Sue Lloyd, Chair and Vice-Chair of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) respectively, spoke about the discussions that took place in recent meetings, as well as some highlights from the previous month. The IASB has also released a series of three webcasts explaining the proposals set out in the Exposure Draft Subsidiaries without Public Accountability: Disclosures. The series discusses the objectives & scope of the project, proposed disclosure requirements and the structure and application of the draft standard. Auditing Organisation of the public oversight of the audit profession in 30 European countries.  Enhancing companies’ credibility through audit ensures that stakeholders make informed decisions based on these companies’ financial statements. In parallel, public oversight ensures audit quality. The European Union (EU) statutory audit rules significantly impact how the public oversight of statutory auditors and audit firms is organised. Designated national public oversight bodies have the ultimate responsibility for the oversight of the audit profession. This survey by Accountancy Europe: presents the impact of the 2014 EU audit legislation. The findings show that the national public oversight bodies now carry out many activities previously in the competence of the professional bodies. Nevertheless, professional bodies continue to play an important role in this area working together with public oversight bodies to reinforce audit quality. The survey also provides an overview of how the public oversight is organised in each of the 27 EU Member States and Iceland and Norway as members of the European Economic Area (EEA). Organisation of the public oversight of the audit profession in 30 European countries - Accountancy Europe IAASA has published a consultation on its intention to amend the definition of ‘listed entity’ in its Glossary of Terms, which defines the terms used in the Irish auditing and assurance standards. The consultation is available here Insolvency The Insolvency Technical Committee – Northern Ireland has responded to the Joint Insolvency Committee consultation on changes to Statement of Insolvency Practice 3.1 - Individual Voluntary Arrangements.  SIP 3.1 applies in England and Wales and Northern Ireland. A copy of the consultation response can be found here. Other Areas of Interest The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is considering proposals for tougher global beneficial ownership rules to stop criminals from hiding their illicit activities and dirty money behind shell companies. Read more here on the proposals and a consultation affecting stakeholders. ICAS are hosting a public webinar on Tuesday 30 November to discuss the results and practical recommendations from a large-scale research project on reporting of Intangibles from the University of Ferrara (Italy). The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the EU’s securities markets regulator, has published its latest edition of its Spotlight on Markets Newsletter. The Central Bank recently published its Strategy for 2022-2024 with  four connected themes for the Bank’s strategic direction :future-focused, open & engaged, transforming and safeguarding. Matters which may be of interest are the aim to strengthen the resilience of the financial system to climate-related risks and its ability to support the transition to a low-carbon economy, promoting  the provision of choice and access to payment instruments in Ireland, including cash and electronic payments and prioritising financial and operational resilience and AML/CFT. You can also watch a video on  the strategy here. The Minister for Finance and president of the Eurogroup Paschal Donohoe recently chaired its November meeting .One of the topics was a discussion on the digital euro which he said could offer a European solution in a context of increased demand for alternative means of payments. Read also European central bank information on the digital euro. In the same vein HM Treasury and the Bank of England have this week  announced the next steps on the exploration of a UK Central Bank Digital Currency . The Irish Central Bank Deputy Governor Ed Sibley spoke recently to the National Supervisors’ Forum AGM for credit unions. The theme of the AGM was the Fifth Anti Money Laundering Directive. He spoke about how important they  consider the continued success of the credit union movement, as a necessary component part of the wider financial services system serving the needs of the people of Ireland and the wider Irish economy. You can read his remarks in his speech here. Charity Trustees’ week is taking place from 15-19 November 2021. The event is hosted in partnership by the Charities Regulator, Boardmatch Ireland, Carmichael, The Wheel, Volunteer Ireland, Charities Institute Ireland, Pobal and Dóchas. Minister Paschal Donohoe’s opening statement to the committee on finance public expenditure and reform included comments on the forthcoming Central Bank (Individual Accountability Framework)  Bill and the minister stated that the objective of the legislation is to underpin a thorough transformation of the culture in the financial services industry . In last month’s round up news we brought you details of the government’s proposals to amend freedom of information legislation. Minister McGrath has this week announced the launch of a public consultation as part of the review. The consultation asks participants to briefly identify key issues with the FOI system as they see it, to help the Department in defining the scope of the review. You can take part in the survey here. For further technical information and updates please visit the Technical Hub and the Covid-19 Hub on the Institute website. 

This week at COP26, the UN global summit to address the critical and urgent issue of climate change, the IFRS Foundation Trustees announced that they have formed a new International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB). The goal of the ISSB is to develop a set of global sustainability disclosure standards. Additionally, it was announced the IFRS Foundation will consolidate into its Board the Climate Disclosure Standards Board (CDSB) and the Value Reporting Foundation (VRF) (which currently governs the Integrated Reporting Framework and the SASB Standards), by June 2022. The consolidation follows the commitment by the IFRS Foundation to build on the work already done on sustainability reporting by the existing standard setters in the new ISSB sustainability disclosure standards. Prototype climate and general disclosure requirements, which were developed by the Technical Readiness Working Group (TRWG), have been published. The prototype standards are the result of six months of joint work by representatives of the CDSB, the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), the Financial Stability Board’s Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), the VRF and the World Economic Forum, supported by the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) and its Technical Expert Group of securities regulators. The TRWG has consolidated key aspects of these organisations’ content into an enhanced, unified set of recommendations for consideration by the ISSB. The Trustees are at advanced stages in appointing a Chair and Vice-Chair(s) to the ISSB. The Trustees will commence shortly a search for the additional board positions, up to the full complement of 14 members. The ISSB’s work is expected to commence as soon as the Chair and Vice-Chair(s) have been appointed and to begin with public consultations to inform the ISSB’s work plan and on proposals informed by recommendations from the TRWG. Commenting on the announcement Erkki Liikanen, Chair of the IFRS Foundation Trustees, said: “Sustainability, and particularly climate change, is the defining issue of our time. To properly assess related opportunities and risks, investors require high-quality, transparent and globally comparable sustainability disclosures that are compatible with the financial statements. Establishing the ISSB and building on the innovation and expertise of the CDSB, the Value Reporting Foundation and others will provide the foundations to achieve this goal.” Chartered Accountants Ireland welcomes the establishment of the International Sustainability Standards Board and notes that investors need access to high-quality, consistent, and comparable global reporting standards and the announcements by the IFRS Foundation makes this a step closer to being realised.  The Institute looks forward to responding to the consultations in due course. Read the full press release by the IFRS Foundation here.  

Welcome to this week’s Technical Roundup.  In developments this week, the G20 has released its Leaders Declaration from the G20 Leaders’ Summit held in Rome on 30/31 October; IAASA has published a consultation paper on its proposals to adopt International Standard on Review Engagements (Ireland) 2410 – Review of Interim Financial Information Performed by the Independent Auditor of the Entity. Read more on these and other developments that may be of interest to members below. Financial Reporting IAASA has published a consultation paper on its proposals to adopt International Standard on Review Engagements (Ireland) 2410 – Review of Interim Financial Information Performed by the Independent Auditor of the Entity (‘ISRE (Ireland) 2410’). The FRC invites you to its upcoming webinar on this year’s Annual Review of Corporate Reporting and end of year bulletin of key matters for preparers on 10 November. The Financial Reporting Technical Committee of Chartered Accountants Ireland issued a response to the FRC’s request for views to inform the periodic review of FRS 102. As outlined by the FRC, Any changes to accounting standards that are proposed as a result of the periodic review will be subject to public consultation at a later date, not expected to be before 2022.  The effective date for any amendments is currently expected to be 1 January 2024. The FRC has published a report to help premium listed companies prepare for mandatory Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) reporting. The report includes practical advice and examples that better address aspects of TCFD reporting from those companies already adopting the framework on a voluntary basis. The IFRS Interpretations Committee has published volume 5 of its compilation of Agenda Decisions which brings together agenda decisions published from April to October 2021. On 3rd November, the Chartered Accountants Ireland Leinster Society presented the 44th Published Accounts Awards 2021. Awards were granted across 16 different categories with ESB picking up the top award of “overall winner”. Accounting The IASB have updated their current Work Plan. Auditing Accountancy Europe have published a briefing paper entitled “Non-Audit Services and auditor’s Independence- why do auditors provide other assurance services to their audit clients”. This publication aims to contribute to the ongoing debate at both European and national level on the auditor’s role in providing other assurance services. Sustainability The G20 has released its Leaders Declaration from the G20 Leaders’ Summit held in Rome on 30/31 October. The Irish Central Bank, a member of the Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS) this week  endorsed the NGFS ‘Glasgow Declaration’  .In its recent press release it also gives details of a letter the Governor sent to chairs and CEOs of regulated financial service providers setting out supervisory expectations of regulated firms regarding climate and other ESG issues. During his speech at COP26 on 3 November 2021, the Chair of the IFRS Foundation Trustees, Erkki Liikanen announced three significant developments to provide the global financial markets with high-quality disclosures on climate and other sustainability issues. A live panel discussion was also held at COP26 on this topic. Accountancy Europe have published some FAQs on sustainability information assurance. Other Areas of Interest The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has issued its annual Public Statement on European Common Enforcement Priorities (Statement). This year’s priorities cover the impact of COVID-19 and climate-related matters, provide guidance on the measurement of expected credit losses and highlight disclosure obligations pursuant to Article 8 of the Taxonomy Regulation. The Chartered Governance Institute UK &Ireland have some useful summary information on their website on B1 Annual Return filing with a link to the Irish companies office website on how to file an annual return. Members are reminded of a news item we brought you earlier this year on Section 78(2) of the Companies (Accounting) Act 2017 .This section delayed implementation of the requirement in Section 1274 of the Companies Act 2014 for certain private unlimited companies to file financial statements, to financial years beginning on or after 1 January 2022. With this date fast approaching, members may wish to review the area as applicable to them and /or their clients. Two senior central bank members recently attended a joint Oireachtas committee to discuss the Central Bank (Individual Accountability Framework) Bill 2021.Read here the opening statement by Gerry Cross Central Bank Director of Financial Regulation - Policy & Risk . The Dept. of Enterprise Trade and Employment has published its November newsletter. Items of interest include details of the Brexit Impact Loan Scheme a successor to the Brexit Loan Scheme. Loans are competitively priced and offered at favourable terms with loans available now for up to six years (rather than three). The newsletter also details changes to the Irish Employment Permits System. Money laundering and Economic Crime In a news item earlier this week we brought  details of the Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies’ (CCAB) recently published  Economic Crime Manifesto outlining what more must be done to build and maintain the UK's resilience to  economic crime. Also, further details on the proposed Economic Crime (Anti-Money Laundering ) Levy  have been published by HM Revenue this week on who is likely to be affected and amounts they can expect to pay under the levy . The FATF and Egmont Group recently adopted a report on Digital Transformation of AML/CFT for Operational Agencies to assist Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) in leveraging technology to strengthen their operational capability and resilience. The report focuses on the detection of suspicious activities and analysis of financial intelligence. The full report is available to public authorities. A summary highlighting key findings of the report, including the drivers and strategic considerations, and the benefits and opportunities that digital transformation can offer, is available for download. The Industry Committee of the European Parliament has recently adopted legislative text for new draft law to set tighter cybersecurity obligations .The original cybersecurity directive was adopted in 2017. However, EU countries implemented it in different ways, thereby fragmenting the single market, which led to insufficient levels of cybersecurity. Given the current high level of cybersecurity threats, this updated legislation is much needed, say MEPs. Also, read here for the background to the new draft legislation. The draft must now progress through parliament  and we will keep readers updated of progress. For further technical information and updates please visit the Technical Hub and the Covid-19 Hub on the Institute website.