The EU Commission said new US rules requiring senior managers of foreign companies listed in the US to swear to the accuracy of their firms' financial results are not in conflict with European law.
Commission spokesman, Mr Jonathan Faull said the commission is in dialogue with the US Securities and Exchange Commission to ensure there is no duplication or contradiction between EU and US accounting laws.
Faull said the commission is very much in favour of the objectives of the new US rules and is therefore not questioning their main thrust.
Of the requirement applying to foreign companies' top executives, he said: "I understand that that is not in conflict with community law."
The ruling, which was approved yesterday morning in a 5-0 vote by SEC commissioners at the regulator's headquarters here, follows lobbying from foreign companies that they should be exempted from recent congressional legislation affecting US companies.
PA