European Public Interest

Overview & Synopsis

This report try to examine the public interest notion in UE context from an accounting point of view. It is the result of our study: 1) that there is no European or general (universal) definition of public interest. All members of the research group concluded that there is no definition for their country (including in the accounting field); the same is true in the EU 2) that the notion contains "interests" to be protected/defended 3) that the notion makes it possible to "legitimize" an action and/or standards 4) that the notion is (therefore) a tool at the service of a policy 5) that it is not necessary - or even politically counterproductive - to define the public interest (precisely) 6) that the question of whether a broadening of the notion of "public interest" with the integration of financial stability and sustainable development is desirable requires a nuanced answer: if it is justified at the political level to be able to use accounting standards as a tool of public policy, it does not seem appropriate from an economic point of view, and more precisely with regard to the main objective of financial information (true and fair view) and its effectiveness.