ICAS ICAS logo

Quicklinks

  1. About Us

    Find out about who we are and what we do here at ICAS.

  2. Find a CA

    Search our directory of individual CAs and Member organisations by name, location and professional criteria.

  3. CA Magazine

    View the latest issues of the dedicated magazine for ICAS Chartered Accountants.

  4. Contact Us

    Get in touch with ICAS by phone, email or post, with dedicated contacts for Members, Students and firms.

Login
  • Annual renewal
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Find a CA
  1. About us
    1. Governance
  2. Members
    1. Become a member
    2. Newly qualified
    3. Manage my membership
    4. Benefits of membership
    5. Careers support
    6. Mentoring
    7. CA Wellbeing
    8. More for Members
    9. Area networks
    10. International communities
    11. Get involved
    12. Top Young CAs
    13. Career breaks
    14. ICAS podcast
    15. Newly admitted members 2022
    16. Newly admitted members 2023
  3. CA Students
    1. Student information
    2. Student resources
    3. Learning requirements
    4. Learning updates
    5. Learning blog
    6. Totum Pro | Student discount card
    7. CA Student wellbeing
  4. Become a CA
    1. How to become a CA
    2. Routes to becoming a CA
    3. CA Stories
    4. Find a training agreement
    5. Why become a CA
    6. Qualification information
    7. University exemptions
  5. Employers
    1. Become an Authorised Training Office
    2. Resources for Authorised Training Offices
    3. Professional entry
    4. Apprenticeships
  6. Find a CA
  7. ICAS events
    1. CA Summit
  8. CA magazine
  9. Insight
    1. Finance + Trust
    2. Finance + Technology
    3. Finance + EDI
    4. Finance + Mental Fitness
    5. Finance + Leadership
    6. Finance + Sustainability
  10. Professional resources
    1. Anti-money laundering
    2. Audit and assurance
    3. Brexit
    4. Business and governance
    5. Charities
    6. Coronavirus
    7. Corporate and financial reporting
    8. Cyber security
    9. Ethics
    10. Insolvency
    11. ICAS Research
    12. Pensions
    13. Practice
    14. Public sector
    15. Sustainability
    16. Tax
  11. CPD - professional development
    1. CPD courses and qualifications
    2. CPD news and updates
    3. CPD support and advice
  12. Regulation
    1. Complaints and sanctions
    2. Regulatory authorisations
    3. Guidance and help sheets
    4. Regulatory monitoring
  13. CA jobs
    1. CA jobs partner: Rutherford Cross
    2. Resources for your job search
    3. Advertise with CA jobs
    4. Hays | A Trusted ICAS CA Jobs Partner
    5. Azets | What's your ambition?
  14. Work at ICAS
    1. Business centres
    2. Meet our team
    3. Benefits
    4. Vacancies
    5. Imagine your career at ICAS
  15. Contact us
    1. Technical and regulation queries
    2. ICAS logo request

Learn about the European Confederation of Institutes of Internal Auditing

  • LinkedIn (opens new window)
  • Twitter (opens new window)
By Alan Simpson CA

13 December 2019

Key points:

  • The ECIIA represents the internal audit profession throughout Europe.
  • Thirty-four countries, including the UK and Ireland (through the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors – CIIA), are ECIIA members.
  • Member countries are geographically spread from Iceland in the north to Armenia in the east to Morocco in the south.
    Founded in 1980, it represents approximately 48,000 internal auditors in these countries.
    It works closely with the Global Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA).

If you are an ICAS member working in internal audit you may well have heard of the European Confederation of Institutes of Internal Auditing (ECIIA). This article provides more information about the work and output of the organisation, and provides links to a number of useful publications.

Background of the ECIIA

The origins of the ECIIA date back to 1980 with the founder country members being: Portugal, (the then West) Germany, France, the UK and Ireland, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. In 2001 it was constituted under Belgian law as a non-profit organisation with its registered office in Brussels. Today, membership has grown to thirty-four countries throughout Europe and the Mediterranean littoral.

The ECIIA is also referred to officially as “The Association” and through its constituent members represents nearly 48,000 internal auditors throughout Europe. The Association works with the Global IIA (Institute of Internal Auditors) to “promote the professional practice of Internal Audit in Europe”. It states that: “In particular, we endorse IIA’s Standards, its Code of Ethics and its Certification Programme.”

What is the purpose of the ECIIA?

The ECIIA has a no-profit making purpose. Its main objectives are:

“the promotion of internal audit and good governance at the European level … the Association intends to be the consolidated voice for the profession of internal auditing in Europe and to promote the role of internal audit and good corporate governance by dealing with the European Union, its Parliament and Commission and any other European regulators and associations representing key stakeholders.”

Membership of the ECIIA

The ECIIA rules state that: “Full membership is open to Institutes of Internal Auditing that: (i) are affiliated to The Institute of Internal Auditors Inc.; AND, (ii) have their registered office or are incorporated in a country member of the EU; OR, (iii) have their registered office or are incorporated in a country member of the Single European Market.”

In addition to full membership, the Association has the categories of associate membership and affiliate membership It is a condition of membership that all categories must be affiliated to the IIA.

How is the ECIIA governed?

The ECIIA is governed by the General Assembly, a Management Board and a Secretary General:

  • The General Assembly comprises representatives from all thirty-four member countries that meets annually at a conference held in a different country each year.
  • It appoints a Management Board of ten directors for a period of two years. The Management Board is responsible to the Assembly for operating the ECIIA and developing policies and programmes. It has one UK member, Paul Manning, who is also a member of the CIIA Council. The Board elect a President and a Vice President. In addition, there are also various committees and working groups of members who advise the Board.
  • The Secretary General is responsible to the Management Board for the day-to-day running of the ECIIA and of its secretariat.

ECIIA publications

The ECIIA has produced a number of research papers which are openly accessible on its website. These cover various internal audit topics such as:

  • Audit committees in the European Public Sector
  • Internal audit in the insurance industry guidance
  • Corporate governance and cybersecurity
  • Best practice papers for European Banks
  • Risk in Focus 2020: Hot Topics for Internal Auditors
  • ECIIA annual report 2018/19
  • Improving cooperation between internal and external audit

Also on its site are other useful publications including Foundations of Internal Audit in Financial Services Firms by the Global IIA.

modern office.jpg

Institute of Internal Auditors - Revised Standards 2017

By Alan Simpson CA

2 August 2017

Chief Audit Executives highlight top risks for internal auditors

By Alan Simpson CA

8 November 2019

2-23-marsh 2-23-marsh
ICAS logo

Footer links

  • Contact us
  • Terms and conditions
  • Modern slavery statement
  • Privacy notice
  • CA magazine

Connect with ICAS

  • Facebook (opens new window) Facebook Icon
  • Twitter (opens new window) Twitter Icon
  • LinkedIn (opens new window) LinkedIn Icon
  • Instagram (opens new window) Instagram Icon

ICAS is a member of the following bodies

  • Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies (opens new window) Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies logo
  • Chartered Accountants Worldwide (opens new window) Chartered Accountants Worldwide logo
  • Global Accounting Alliance (opens new window) Global Accounting Alliance
  • International Federation of Accountants (opens new window) IFAC
  • Access Accountancy (opens new window) Access Acountancy

Charities

  • ICAS Foundation (opens new window) ICAS Foundation
  • SCABA (opens new window) scaba

Accreditations

  • ISO 9001 - RGB (opens new window)
© ICAS 2022

The mark and designation “CA” is a registered trade mark of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS), and is available for use in the UK and EU only to members of ICAS. If you are not a member of ICAS, you should not use the “CA” mark and designation in the UK or EU in relation to accountancy, tax or insolvency services. The mark and designation “Chartered Accountant” is a registered trade mark of ICAS, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales and Chartered Accountants Ireland. If you are not a member of one of these organisations, you should not use the “Chartered Accountant” mark and designation in the UK or EU in relation to these services. Further restrictions on the use of these marks also apply where you are a member.

ICAS logo

Our cookie policy

ICAS.com uses cookies which are essential for our website to work. We would also like to use analytical cookies to help us improve our website and your user experience. Any data collected is anonymised. Please have a look at the further information in our cookie policy and confirm if you are happy for us to use analytical cookies: