The Palace of the Parliament hosted the 25th edition of the Congress of the Accounting Profession in Romania, an event organized by the Body of Expert and Licensed Accountants of Romania (CECCAR) on October 7 and 8 this year. International leaders of the accounting profession, representatives of public institutions and authorities, the business community and academia, together with accounting professionals, discussed the future of the profession.
Before the opening of the Congress, a delegation made up of representatives of CECCAR – Elena Ecaterina Chivu, president of CECCAR’s superior council, and Robert Șova, vice president of the superior council – of international professional bodies – Lee White, CEO of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), Philippe Arraou, president of the European Tax Adviser Federation (ETAF), Eelco van der Enden, CEO of Accountancy Europe – and of partner professional organizations – John Graham, co-chair of AICPA & CIMA – was received by Mircea Abrudean, president of the Senate, Natalia Intotero, vice president of the Chamber of Deputies, and Alexandru Nazare, minister of finance. The discussions focused on the important role of interinstitutional cooperation in consolidating a sustainable, forward-looking economy and on the partnership between CECCAR and similar international professional bodies, aimed at aligning the profession with international best practices, for the benefit of accounting professionals and, implicitly, of the business community. Making use of the experience of advanced economies and adapting their models to the realities of the national economic environment is the natural direction for developing a modern accounting profession, connected to global trends but anchored in the realities of the Romanian economy.
Interinstitutional dialogue and international perspectives on the future of the accounting profession
Two days of in-depth discussions about leadership and about the role of the accounting profession as an architect of the digital transformation of the business environment, under the theme SMART ACCOUNTING powered by AI.
The Congress was opened by Elena-Ecaterina Chivu, president of CECCAR’s superior council, who emphasized that the accounting profession is going through a process of profound redefinition, in which human expertise and artificial intelligence complement each other. “We are witnessing an era in which data, algorithms and artificial intelligence are no longer just technical tools, but key drivers of governance, transparency and public trust. The accounting profession no longer wonders whether it will survive digitalization, but how it will lead this transformation. At the core of our mission lies the idea of professional leadership and social responsibility. Today’s accounting professional is not just a specialist in numbers, but a trusted adviser, a guarantor of legality and an active partner of state institutions and the business community,” said CECCAR’s president.
At the opening of the event, addresses were given by Mircea Abrudean, president of the Senate of Romania, Natalia-Elena Intotero, vice president of the Chamber of Deputies, Roxana Simona Momeu, state secretary at the Ministry of Justice, Mirela Păunescu, adviser to the minister of finance, senator Cătălin-Daniel Fenechiu, lawyer and president of the Union of Liberal Professions of Romania, Marius-Sorin Indrieș, judicial police officer and head of the Financial Investigation Bureau within the National Anticorruption Directorate, Claudia Boghicevici, accounts advisor of the Romanian Court of Accounts, Magdalena Grădinaru, general director of the Information Management Unit within the National Agency for Fiscal Administration, Gabriel-Ioan Avrămescu, first vice president of the Financial Supervisory Authority, John Graham, president of CIMA and co-chair of AICPA-CIMA, and Adriana Iftime, secretary general of the Confederation of Romanian Entrepreneurs and Investors.
SMART ACCOUNTING powered by AI – the global perspective on the impact of technology in the accounting profession
The plenary session, held under the theme #SmartAccounting powered by AI, brought together leaders of the most important international professional organizations in the fields of accounting and taxation: Lee White, CEO of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), Philippe Arraou, president of the European Tax Adviser Federation (ETAF), and Eelco van der Enden, CEO of Accountancy Europe. The discussions were moderated by professor Robert-Aurelian Șova, PhD, vice president of CECCAR.
The presentations laid the foundation for the debates within the Congress, offering a global and regional perspective on the Smart Accounting concept and on how artificial intelligence is transforming the accounting profession, redefining the essential competencies of professionals and the balance between human expertise and intelligent automation.
Participants emphasized that beyond technological innovation, the success of the profession depends on its ability to integrate, in a balanced manner, human competencies and AI-based solutions, in order to strengthen public trust, transparency and the sustainability of economic decision-making.
The three-dimensionality of the accounting profession in the age of artificial intelligence. #SmartAccounting: compliance, advice and business security
From ensuring compliance to safeguarding business security, the accounting profession is reinventing itself in the age of artificial intelligence. Essentially, the second day of the Congress was about the accounting profession itself: between ethics, innovation and the protection of business integrity.
Three thematic panels were dedicated to the main directions of transformation of the accounting profession, corresponding to the three dimensions of #SmartAccounting: business compliance, business advice, business security.
The first discussion panel, Challenges, opportunities, and ethics of using AI in SMPs, organized in partnership with Accountancy Europe, addressed the business advice dimension, exploring how small and medium-sized practices (SMPs) can adapt to the new technological realities generated by intelligent automation. In the era of agentic automation, human expertise does not disappear – it becomes even more valuable. The accounting professional becomes a trusted adviser, a coordinator of human–technology collaboration, a strategist of intelligent decision-making. The discussions highlighted the fact that the accounting profession is at a strategic crossroads, where the integration of artificial intelligence is no longer an option but a necessity. AI is already transforming accounting workflows, yet beyond technology, the real challenge remains maintaining the balance between automation and professional judgment, between efficiency and ethical responsibility. Oana Nicorescu, expert accountant and member of the board of Accountancy Europe, led the dialogue among the guests – Jakub Bejnarowicz, regional director for Europe, AICPA & CIMA, Arpit Kabra, member of the Central Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Monica Avram, deputy director of the Accounting Legislation and Regulation Directorate within the Ministry of Finance, and Alexandru Chirigiu, associate partner, tax accounting, within an accounting firm.
The second panel, Taxation and automation driven by AI, organized in partnership with the European Tax Adviser Federation (ETAF), was dedicated to the impact of artificial intelligence on taxation and on the relationship between taxpayers and tax authorities, addressing the second dimension of Smart Accounting: business compliance – fiscal compliance is becoming digital, dynamic and predictive, and the accounting professional assumes a new role – that of guarantor of algorithmic legality and architect of a transparent and fair tax system. Moderated by professor Adriana-Florina Popa, PhD, the session brought together Michael Schick, managing director of ETAF, Daniel Pană, partner in an accounting firm, associate professor Mirela Păunescu, PhD, adviser to the minister of finance, and Magdalena Grădinaru, director of the Information Management Unit within ANAF. The discussions highlighted how technologies such as SAF-T and intelligent automation can simplify procedures, improve data quality and turn tax compliance into a strategic advantage. The conclusion regarding the compliance component was clear: artificial intelligence does not eliminate the role of accounting professionals – it strengthens it, placing them at the center of a modern, transparent and trustworthy financial and fiscal ecosystem.
The last panel of the Congress, Artificial intelligence in forensic accounting: transforming investigation, detection, and prevention of economic fraud, brought to the forefront the role of artificial intelligence in preventing, detecting and investigating economic fraud – the business security dimension. In a complex economic ecosystem, exposed to various risks, forensic accounting is becoming a new strategic pillar. The accounting professional is the one capable of building early warning systems, collaborating with AI and with law enforcement institutions to help protect the economic integrity of organizations. Moderated by professor Robert-Aurelian Șova, PhD, vice president of CECCAR’s superior council, the session featured Radu-Gabriel Goliță, head of the Information Analysis Service within the General Anticorruption Directorate, Marius-Sorin Indrieș, judicial police officer and head of the Financial Investigation Bureau within the National Anticorruption Directorate, Magdalena Grădinaru, general director of the Information Management Unit within ANAF, and Marcel Vulpoi, expert accountant, CEO of an accounting firm.
The discussions emphasized that, in the new digital context, forensic accounting goes beyond the classical “follow the money” paradigm and becomes an intelligent process based on the integrated analysis of financial, operational and behavioral data.
A global vision for a profession relevant to the future
The debates held over the two days led to a common conclusion: artificial intelligence does not replace the accounting profession – it enhances it, redefining its added value. The accounting professional becomes a key actor in decision-making, risk analysis and in building an economic ecosystem based on trust, responsibility and innovation.
The event reconfirmed CECCAR’s role as a strategic partner in digital transformation and as a promoter of an accounting profession connected to both local realities and global trends.
The future of the accounting profession is being written today – in the language of data, algorithms and ethical leadership.