This article illustrates the situation of the accounting and auditing professions in the European Union. It starts from a short history of the European Union’s management, continuing with the governing bodies and the legal means through which they are organised. It shows below how the accounting profession and auditing are institutionalised in the EU countries and analyses the causes of differences in accounting criteria and practices in those countries. Consequently, this analysis sets out comparatively the EU directives (Eighth Directive), the legal doctrine and international auditing standards, the proposals for efficient and effective harmonisation of auditing in the European Union. Finally, there is an overview of how harmonisation of accounting and audit in the EU will come into reality in the future.