The responsibilities of the Council include proposing, modifying, or interpreting accounting standards for public entities, providing preliminary opinions on relevant projects, and making recommendations on sustainability information. Furthermore, the Council actively participates in international discussions on public sector accounting standardization and sustainability, responding to international consultations.
The annual work program outlines normative subjects requested by authorities or deemed necessary by the Council. Importantly, all Council opinions, proposals, and responses to consultations are made publicly accessible.
Chairwoman on the Board
Marie-Christine LEPETIT has been appointed Chairwoman of the Public Sector Accounting Standards Council on February 11, 2025 by decision of the Minister of Public Accounts. She oversees the consensual decision-making process of the Board, known as "le Collège," consisting of nineteen members, including eleven statutory members and eight external experts.
General Director
Ms. Marie-Pierre CALMEL assumed the role of General Director on December 22, 2023. Initially serving as Secretary-General, Ms. CALMEL brings her experience to the standards of public sector accounting.
As General Director, Ms. CALMEL is responsible for overseeing the Council's services, including the preparation and monitoring of technical tasks ans the management of administrative functions. Her role is to align activities with the the Chairwoman's strategic goals to achieve the Council's objectives in public sector accounting standards. set by the Chairwoman.
The Staff
The Council has a dedicated team of specialists managed by a General Director, appointed by the Chairwoman. This team ensures the effective administrative functioning of the board, following the organization's by-laws. The commissions within the Council rely on the work conducted by the staff to facilitate their respective functions.
The board, referred to as "le Collège," is made up of the Chairwoman and twenty members, including eleven ex officio members and nine qualified individuals.
The board adopts opinions relating to draft standards and amendments, either submitted by the relevant authorities or initiated by the board itself. Opinions are published, accompanied by an explanatory memorandum and records of discussions that include minority views if expressed. The board may issue recommendations on all standard-setting matters. The board also proposes guidelines for the content and presentation of sustainability information supplementary to the financial statements of public entities.
On behalf of the Council, the board may take part in international debate on standard-setting issues and respond to the various consultations.
The Chaiworman also represents the Council at national and international accounting standard-setters’ meetings, with the authority to delegate this role to Council members based on meetings specifics.
On an annual basis, the board formulates a work plan that delineates subjects requiring the development of standards. This plan is prepared by the Staff, submitted for advisory committee review, and subsequently adopted by the board.
Three permanent commissions are responsible for preparing the decisions of the board:
- the commission for “Public Accounting Standards”
- the commission for “International Standards”
- the commission for “Sustainability".
The drafts of preliminary opinions, opinions on accounting standards, proposals related to sustainability information, responses to international consultations, and positions submitted to the Board are subject to prior examination by the commissions.
The commission presidents, who are appointed by the Chairman from among the members of the board after considering the opinion of the latter, report back to the board on the work of the commissions.
The composition of the commissions is fixed by the Council’s by-laws according to the following requirements:
- Each commission comprises as ex officio members a magistrate appointed by the first president of the Government Audit Office, a representative of the Public Finances General Directorate and a representative of the Budget Directorate.
- Additionally, other ex officio members include, for the commission for “Public Accounting Standards”, a representative of the Social Security Directorate, a representative of Territorial Authorities General Directorate, , for the commission for “International Standards” a representative of the Public Agency for National Accounts (INSEE) and for the "Sustainability" commission, a representative from the General Commissioner for Sustainable Development.
- Each commission includes qualified individuals.
- Each commission cannot have more than twenty members.
- Except for their presidents, commission members cannot be chosen from among the Board members.
The commissions are convened by their presidents. The presidents may entrust certain specific tasks to individual members or set up a temporary working group. The president of a commission may invite any person to take part in the meetings whose contribution is considered useful to inform the work under consideration.
The commissions relay on the work conducted by “the Staff”.
Members of the commission for “Public Accounting Standards”