European Rule-making in Accounting: The Seventh Directive as a Case Study

Abstract

This paper analyses EC rule-making, using the Seventh Directive as a case study. Three stages of a Directive's life are identified, with different key players taking the lead. The paper analyses the evolution of the Seventh Directive up to its adoption in 1983, looking at 19 key features. The adopted Directive is close to previous UK consolidation practices, but investigation shows that, from its origins in the late 1960s to the published drafts of the late 1970s, it showed clear German parentage. The coalition of forces leading to the major changes from German to UK practices is examined.