The rules haven not changed, but they have been clarified for the member states' use of public-private partnerships (PPP). This at least is the stated aim of the statistical office of the EU (Eurostat) and the EIB, with the presentation, on Thursday 29 September, of the practical guide to the accounting treatment of PPPs, which may have an effect on the calculation of the government deficits.
With as many proponents as detractors, public-private partnerships – which are a means of...