224 participants from across the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region joined the webinar, including regulators, public oversight bodies, professional accountancy organizations (PAOs), practitioners, academia, and financial sector representatives from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Ukraine. It was organized under three CFRR regional programs: Enhancing Accounting, Auditing, and Sustainability Reporting Program (EAASURE), co-funded by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance, the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, and the Austrian Development Cooperation; Public Sector Accounting and Reporting Program (PULSAR), co-funded by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs; and the Road to Europe Program of Accounting Reform and Institutional Strengthening for Small and Medium Enterprises (REPARIS for SMEs), funded by the European Union. IFAC and IESBA supported the event, with IESBA providing technical presenters and content.

During the webinar, IESBA representatives provided an overview of the architecture of the Code of Ethics and walked participants through areas of major recent changes, including:

• International Ethics Standards for Sustainability Assurance (IESSA) and related revisions addressing ethics and independence risks in sustainability reporting and assurance, including bias, conflicts of interest, greenwashing, fraud, and pressure to act unethically.
• Technology-related revisions to the Code, designed to guide ethical behavior as professional accountants adopt and deploy new and emerging technologies, including data analytics and artificial intelligence.
• Revisions to non‑assurance services and fee‑related provisions, strengthening independence safeguards and transparency, particularly for audits of public interest entities.
• Updates related to engagement teams, group audits, and tax planning services, providing clearer, principles‑based guidance applicable across jurisdictions and firm sizes.

Support for adoption and implementation of the Code, highlighting available tools, outreach, and the importance of coordinated action by regulators, PAOs, firms, and universities.

A central message of the webinar was that the revised IESBA Code of Ethics represents a step change toward a more robust, future‑ready ethical framework that supports both financial and non‑financial reporting. The new and revised standards are designed to be scalable and principles‑based, enabling consistent application across diverse institutional settings while responding to heightened public interest expectations, particularly in relation to sustainability reporting and assurance.

For participating countries, next steps include mapping national adoption pathways, undertaking gap analyses against the revised Code and the IESSA, updating curricula and continuing professional development programs, and supporting practitioners through targeted guidance and knowledge‑sharing activities. CFRR programs, including EAASURE, PULSAR, and REPARIS for SMEs, will continue to provide platforms for follow‑up discussions and deeper technical exchanges.

Participants' feedback through a post-event survey reflected strong overall satisfaction and the high perceived relevance of the webinar. The event was conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Albanian, Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, and Russian, ensuring broad regional accessibility. Most respondents rated the event positively across all dimensions assessed, including the extent to which learning objectives were met, the relevance of the agenda, and the quality of content and speakers. Appreciation was expressed for the focus on sustainability ethics - notably IESSA and greenwashing risks - as well as the coverage of technology and artificial intelligence implications for the profession.