Annual accounts also possible in another official EU-language

This opportunity is made possible pursuant to the CCA - Code of Companies and Associations.

All companies are required to file their annual accounts and all related documents in one of the official languages of the region where the company is established.

It is the law in relation to the use of languages in official documents that forms the basis for this.

In Flanders documents must be in Dutch, in the Walloon Region in French or, possibly German. In the Brussels Region one can choose between Dutch and French, but once chosen one must be consistent. All documents submitted must then be in the same language, e.g. no annual accounts in Dutch and accompanying documents in French.

But, it is now also possible - as an addition - to submit a translation of all these documents in one or more of the official languages of the European Union, in addition to one of our official languages, namely Dutch, French or German.

And because there was so much demand for it, the Commission for Accounting Standards ensured an unofficial translation in English of the various models. You can find this by clicking here (Dutch) or here (French).

Following the Brexit, it is not yet clear whether an English translation will be accepted in the future, since English is not one of the languages of a member state anymore.

If you would like information about the CCA and everything related to it, please do not hesitate to contact Seeds of Law, +32 (0) 2 747 40 07, info@seeds.law.