Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Public Accounting Reporting, under an Achievable Metamorphosis?


Affiliations
1 Department of Accounting and Audit, Babes Bolyai University, Teodor Mihali Street No 58-60, Cluj Napoca 400591, Romania
 

This study aims to provide a holistic approach of the European Union (EU) fiscal and financial reporting systems by assessing them through European System of National Accounts (ESA 2010) and International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) reference, both having the accrual basis as benchmark of governmental accounting. The empirical research performed by combining the cluster analysis with the multidimensional scaling technique enables us to map all EU member states and emphasize potential connections between their fiscal and financial systems, thus providing a visual image of the two facets of public accounting. The results reveal a wide and strong interest in sound reporting able to improve transparency through performance management systems. These support European Public Sector Accounting Standards project aimed to adjust inaccuracies between IPSAS and ESA 2010 and finally to enhance good governance and create a positive environment by facilitating transparency and comparability.

Keywords

European Public Sector Accounting Standards, European System of National Accounts, European Union, International Public Sector Accounting Standards.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • Gajda-Lupke, O., Performance measurement methods in the public sector. Poznan University of Economics Review, 2009, 9(1), 67–88.
  • Roje, G., Vasicek, V. and Hladika, M., The perspectives of IPSASs introduction in Croatian public sector. Int. J. Public Sector Performance Manage., 2012, 2(1), 25–43.
  • Wettenhall, R., A critique of the ‘administrative reform industry’: reform is important, but so is stability. Teach. Public Adm., 2013, 31(2), 149–164.
  • Patrick, B. A. and French, P. E., Assessing New Public Management's focus on performance measurement in the public sector. Public Perform. Manage., 2011, 35(2), 340–369.
  • Nistor, C. S. and Stefanescu, C. A., New approaches in public sector reporting at European Union level. Stud. Univ. Babes BolyaiOecon., 2016, 61(2), 49–66.
  • Nobes, C., The survival of international differences under IFRS: towards a research agenda. Acount. Bus. Res., 2006, 36(3), 233–245.
  • Tsakumis, G. T., The influence of culture on accountants’ application of financial reporting rules. Abacus, 2007, 43(1), 27–48.
  • Lequiller, F., Towards convergence between government finance statistics and public sector accounting standards. Eur. Rev. Natl. Accounts Macroecon. Indicat., 2015, 19.
  • European Commission, Public consultation paper: Document accompanying the public consultation ‘Towards implementing European Public Sector Accounting Standards (EPSAS) for EU Member States – Public consultation on future EPSAS governance principles and structures’, 2013; http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/10186/752716/EPSASG_consultation_paper.pdf (accessed on 15 February 2017).
  • European Parliament and of the Council, Council Directive 2011/85/EU on Requirements for Budgetary Frameworks of the Member States OJEU, L 306/41, 2011; http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2011:306:0041: 0047:en:PDF (accessed on 10 February 2017).
  • European Commission, Public consultation paper: Document accompanying the public consultation on the suitability of the International Public Sector Accounting Standards for EU member states, 2012; http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/10186/752720/IPSAS_stakeholders_consultation_paper.pdf (accessed on 15 February 2017).
  • Dabbicco, G. and D’Amore, M., Debate: accounting for macro-economic surveillance in Europe. Public Money Manage., 2016, 36(3), 162–164.
  • Nistor, C. S., European Union under the pressure of creating a competitive public accounting system. Int. J. Competitiveness, 2016; http://www.inderscience.com/info/ingeneral/forthcoming.php?jcode=ijc
  • Manes-Rossi, F., Cohen, S. and Caperchione, E., Harmonizing public sector accounting in Europe: thinking out of the box. Public Money Manage., 2016, 36(3), 189–196.
  • Brusca, I., Caperchione, E., Cohen, S. and Manes-Rossi, F., In Public Sector Accounting and Auditing in Europe: The Challenge of Harmonization, Palgrave Macmillan, UK, 2015.
  • Christiaens, J., Vanhee, C., Manes-Rossi, F., Aversano, N. and Van Cauwenberge, P., The effect of IPSAS on reforming governmental financial reporting: an international comparison. Int. Rev. Adm. Sci., 2015, 81(1), 158–177.
  • Lapsley, I., Mussari, R. and Paulsson, G., On adoption of accrual accounting in the public sector: a self-evident and problematic reform. Eur. Account. Rev., 2009, 18(4), 719–723.
  • Pina, V., Torres, L. and Yetano, A., Accrual accounting in EU local governments: one method, several approaches. Eur. Account. Rev., 2009, 18(4), 765–804.
  • European Union, ESA 2010 accounting rules Impact of new ESA 2010 on Local and Regional Authorities, 2015; http://cor.europa.eu/en/documentation/studies/Documents/ESA-2010-accountingrules.pdf (accessed on 15 February 2017).
  • Pollitt, C. and Bouckaert, G., Public Sector Reform: A Comparative Analysis – New Public Management, Governance, and the Neo-Weberian State, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2011, p. 392.
  • Jones, R. H. and Caruana, J., EPSAS – worrying the wrong end of the stick? Int. J. Public Admin., 2015, 38(4), 240–252.
  • Christiaens, J. and Neyt, S., International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSASs). In Public Sector Accounting (eds Budding, T., Grossi, G. and Tagesson, T.), Routledge, London, 2015, pp. 23–62.
  • Bellanca, S., Budgetary transparency in the European Union: the role of IPSAS. Int. Adv. Econ. Res., 2014, 20(4), 455–456.
  • Dabbicco, G., The impact of accrual-based public accounting harmonization on EU macroeconomic surveillance and governments’ policy decision-making. Int. J. Public Admin., 2015, 38, 253–267.
  • Dasi, R. M., Montesinos, V. and Murgui, S., Government financial statistics and accounting in Europe: is ESA 2010 improving convergence? Public Money Manage., 2016, 36(3), 165–172.
  • Pontoppidan, C. A. and Brusca, I., The first steps towards harmonizing public sector accounting for European Union member states: strategies and perspectives. Public Money Manage., 2016, 36(3), 181–188.
  • ESV, Comparison with International Accounting Standards. Report to the Swedish Government, 2013; https://www.oecd.org/gov/budgeting/Sweden%20-%20ESV%20report.pdf (accessed on 30 January 2017).
  • Gomes, P. S., Fernandes, M. J. and Carvalho, J. B., The international harmonization process of public sector accounting in Portugal: the perspective of different stakeholders. Int. J. Public Admin., 2015, 38, 268–281.
  • Mussari, R., EPSAS and the unification of public sector accounting across Europe. Accounting, Economics and Law, 2014, 4(3), 299–312.
  • European Commission, Progress report on the Member States’ implementation of Council Directive 2011/85/EU, Article 3(2) related to fiscal data, 2015; http://www.scb.se/Statistik/NR/NR0111/_dokument/Member-States-implementation-of-Directive-2011-85-EU.pdf (accessed on 23 January 2017).
  • PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Collection of information related to the potential impact, including costs, of implementing accrual accounting in the public sector and technical analysis of the suitability of individual IPSAS standards, 2014; http://www.pwc.be/en/publications/2014/eurostat.jhtml (accessed on 10 January 2017).

Abstract Views: 252

PDF Views: 75




  • Public Accounting Reporting, under an Achievable Metamorphosis?

Abstract Views: 252  |  PDF Views: 75

Authors

Cristina Silvia Nistor
Department of Accounting and Audit, Babes Bolyai University, Teodor Mihali Street No 58-60, Cluj Napoca 400591, Romania
Cristina Alexandrina Stefanescu
Department of Accounting and Audit, Babes Bolyai University, Teodor Mihali Street No 58-60, Cluj Napoca 400591, Romania

Abstract


This study aims to provide a holistic approach of the European Union (EU) fiscal and financial reporting systems by assessing them through European System of National Accounts (ESA 2010) and International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) reference, both having the accrual basis as benchmark of governmental accounting. The empirical research performed by combining the cluster analysis with the multidimensional scaling technique enables us to map all EU member states and emphasize potential connections between their fiscal and financial systems, thus providing a visual image of the two facets of public accounting. The results reveal a wide and strong interest in sound reporting able to improve transparency through performance management systems. These support European Public Sector Accounting Standards project aimed to adjust inaccuracies between IPSAS and ESA 2010 and finally to enhance good governance and create a positive environment by facilitating transparency and comparability.

Keywords


European Public Sector Accounting Standards, European System of National Accounts, European Union, International Public Sector Accounting Standards.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv114%2Fi10%2F2131-2137