The IESBA Update summarizes the second and final phase of the board's Structure of the Code project. The aim of the project is to comprehensively review the structure and drafting of the IESBA Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants™ (the Code) to enhance its understandability and usability, thereby facilitating its adoption, effective implementation, consistent application, and enforcement.

The Basis for Agreement in Principle documents summarize the feedback received from respondents to Structure ED-1 and Safeguards ED-1. They explain the rationale for the IESBA’s decisions in agreeing in principle the text of Phase 1 of the Structure and Safeguards projects.

The agreed-in-principle text contains:

Approved by the IESBA at its March 2016 meeting, the changes strengthen the Code's Part C provisions addressing the responsibilities of professional accountants in business (PAIB) when preparing or presenting information. They also provide new requirements and guidance for PAIBs regarding pressure to breach the fundamental principles.

Approved by the IESBA at its December 2016 meeting, the changes to provisions addressing long association of personnel with an audit or assurance client contain a number of substantive improvements, including a strengthened partner rotation regime for audits of public interest entities.