EU update - March 2026

Welcome to our Brussels update, highlighting key developments for the ACCA community. Stay informed on policy shifts that strengthen our engagement, build connections, and boost ACCA’s impact in the EU and across Europe.

About ACCA Public Affairs Europe

ACCA has over 80,000 members and students across the EU and Europe region. Our Europe public affairs engagement is led by our Brussels-based team working closely with our Europe market teams based in the Czech Republic, Ireland, Poland, Romania and Ukraine.

This collaborative team approach to public affairs ensures that our members and communities are served both at the centre and local levels for a ‘One Europe’ solution.

Our public affairs engagement

We work with national and EU policymakers to monitor and influence policies affecting our members and the profession. This includes submitting position papers, sharing professional insights and expertise, participating in events and expert group meetings, and actively contributing as members of Accountancy Europe, the European Federation of Accountants and Auditors (EFAA), SMEunited and Early Warning Europe Network (EWEN).

Highlight of the month

Driving the EU’s Skills and AI Agenda: ACCA Hosts Cyprus Presidency Event (19 March 2026)

Continuing our high level engagement with successive EU Council Presidencies (following our collaboration with the Polish and Danish EU Presidencies in 2025), ACCA hosted an online conference on 19 March, AI Strategies for a Competitive Europe: Empowering the Finance and Accounting Professions, delivered with the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus (ICPAC) and the University of Cyprus. Keynote speakers included Mario Nava, Director General at DG EMPL, MEP Michalis Hadjipantela and ACCA Global President, Melanie Proffitt.

Held under the patronage of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU, the event gathered Cyprus’ academic and business communities for a fast-paced discussion on how Small and Medium-sized Practices (SMPs) can use AI responsibly, upholding ethics, ensuring proportionate regulation, and delivering highquality advice to SMEs. Speakers also addressed Europe’s widening skills gap, the need for digital and AI capabilities, and the importance of stronger collaboration between universities, Professional Accountancy Organisations (PAOs) and SMPs for the EU’s green and digital transition.

In its Policy Recommendations from the Roundtable at the European Parliament (4 February), ACCA urges the EU to place investment in training and education for accountants at the core of its AI strategy. Recognising the profession as a strategic asset for SME competitiveness and for Europe’s transitions is essential. Accessible funding for skills, training and digital inclusion will help SMPs thrive in the AI era. A white paper with key recommendations will follow shortly.

Shaping policy: key developments driving ACCA engagement

Building on our call for the EU to prioritise investment in education and training for the profession, ACCA is continuing this agenda under Ireland’s EU Council Presidency in late 2026.

The need to equip accountants - especially in SMPs - with the skills to help SMEs benefit from EU initiatives such as the Union of Skills, the 28th Regime and the Omnibus Packages remains central.

This month, ACCA joined an invitation-only discussion on Emerging Skills at Ireland’s Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels, attended by Irish EU Ambassador Cait Moran and the European Commission, highlighting the role of EU-level initiatives such as Skills Academies.

Looking ahead, ACCA Ireland will host a major Presidency-patroned event in October in Dublin on investing in skills for EU competitiveness, showcasing best practice models such as EU supported Springboard funding that has enabled accounting students, including ACCA learners, to train, qualify and progress in their careers.

Alongside our work on skills and mobility under Ireland’s EU Presidency, ACCA is deepening collaboration with key partners to support greater recognition of the profession across Europe.

This month, ACCA joined fellow professional bodies within EFAA (the European Federation of Accountants and Auditors for SMEs) and Accountancy Europe to discuss EU policy files affecting SMPs and the wider profession, including the Commission’s forthcoming Skills Portability Initiative.

These exchanges reinforced the need for a more coherent, modern framework enabling accountants to move, practise and support SMEs across borders. In our recent consultation response, ACCA highlighted persistent barriers created by fragmented national rules and stressed the importance of a more open and mobile European profession.

We will continue working with EU institutions, MEPs and professional partners to advance this agenda.

ACCA welcomes the Commission’s new EU Inc. proposal (the 28th regime) which will allow companies to incorporate online within 48 hours and operate under a single, digital-by-default corporate framework instead of navigating 27 national systems.

Simplifications such as streamlined registration, reduced administrative burdens and easier cross-border operations offer major opportunities for SMEs and the finance professionals advising them.

During our meeting last month in Brussels with Commissioner Michael McGrath, ACCA reiterated strong support for EU Inc. and emphasised the importance of a business environment that empowers SMEs to scale up across the Single Market.

We will continue engaging with EU institutions as the proposal advances, championing a framework that drives innovation, scaling and long-term competitiveness across Europe.

Events and engagements

As discussions on EU Inc. gather pace, ACCA is working with key partners to ensure the profession’s voice shapes the proposal.

Together with Accountancy Europe and SMEunited, ACCA will join an in-person event in the European Parliament on 13 April, hosted by MEP Axel Voss, The 28th Regime: what’s in it for SMEs?

The programme will explore whether the new framework can reduce fragmentation and support SMEs to scale up across borders, bringing together policymakers and experts (including a representative from Commissioner Michael McGrath’s Cabinet) to assess what more is needed for the regime to work for small businesses and the finance professionals advising them.

ACCA will also take part in the EU-UK Forum Annual Conference on 16 April in Brussels, joining a panel on growing Europe’s economy and how a more stable EU–UK relationship can strengthen competitiveness and security across the wider region.

The programme features high-level contributions, including keynote addresses from European Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič and UK Minister for the Constitution and EU Relations Nick Thomas Symonds, setting the scene for discussions on economic cooperation, trade, and Europe’s strategic resilience.

With senior voices from the Commission, the UK Mission, think tanks and business, the conference offers a key platform to explore how closer cooperation can support competitiveness in both markets ahead of the EU-UK TCA review, including the Summit in July this year.

ACCA Ireland will host the EFAA International Conference in Dublin on 21 May 2026, bringing together European and international leaders to discuss the profession’s strategic role in supporting Europe’s SMEs.

High-level speakers include Gabriela Figueiredo Dias, Chair of the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA), and Salvador Marín, President of EFAA, alongside representatives from European PAOs, academia and SMP leaders.

A highlight will be the panel “Strengthening Europe’s Skills Pipeline”, where ACCA members in SMPs will share their perspectives on tackling talent shortages, aligning education with practice needs and preparing SMPs for evolving EU priorities.

The conference offers ACCA members a valuable opportunity to engage on EU policy discussions from an Irish perspective and connect with their peers across Europe.

Call to action

To support our policy engagement for upskilling the profession on AI and new technologies, ACCA has launched a new suite of technology-focused certificates.

Developed using insights from over 900 finance leaders, the four-part Technology in Finance series strengthens practical skills in data analytics, AI, cybersecurity and organisational transformation - areas increasingly essential for accountants advising businesses across Europe.

These certificates support lifelong learning, boost confidence in using new technologies and help professionals stay competitive as digital and regulatory expectations evolve. Enrolment is now open, with the first certificate, Data Analytics for Finance Professionals, available through ACCA Learning.

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