Registration of Auditors from Third Countries
Third-Country Auditors and Third-Country Audit Entities
The EU Statutory Audit Directive (“Directive 2006/43/EC”) requires that auditors and audit entities from third countries providing audit services to companies incorporated outside the European Union/European Economic Area whose transferable securities are admitted to trading on a regulated market in the EU/EEA should be entered on a public register and be subject to a level of regulation equivalent to the minimum required for EU/EEA auditors.
The registration requirements have been implemented in Germany in § 134 of German Public Accountant Act (WPO). In Germany registered third-country auditors and third-county audit entities can be seen on the Public Register / Register of Statutory Auditors.
News
The United Kingdom (UK) is leaving the European Union on 29 March 2019. In the event of the UK leaving without an agreement, based on information currently available to it, UK auditors and audit firms would need to be registered in Germany if they audit a company incorporated outside the EU/EEA (e.g. UK) and that is admitted to trading on a regulated market in Germany. You can find further information on registration procedure in the document provided below. Please use Form B for the registration.
11 December 2018
More information about the registration procedure
Transitional registration – Form A
Form A can only be used by a third-country audit entity whose home country is one of the third countries to which the European Commission has granted a transitional period in accordance with Article 46 (2) of the Directive 2006/43/EC in the following decisions:
- 2008/627/EC of 29 July 2008
- 2011/30/EU of 19 January 2011
- 2013/288/EU of 13 June 2013
- 2016/1223/EU of 25 July 2016
The following are transitional countries in respect of audits of accounts for periods beginning between 2 July 2010 and 31 July 2018:
- Bermuda
- Cayman Islands
- Egypt
- Russia
Full registration – Form B
Form B must be used by any third-country audit entity that cannot take advantage of the transitional provisions in the European Commission’s decisions listed under Form A.
Contact person
Ms Schwoy, Phone +49 30 726161-236
Email third-country-auditor(at)wpk.de
