To begin with, the working group tried to standardise accounting terminology and defined the basic terms of accounting and made recommendations concerning the chart of account structure, which were published in German, English and French. Later international comparisons of procedures in profit and loss accounting in forestry and recommendationions for improvements were important issues. Issues of the Research Group Management accounting comprises all accounting activities aimed at providing data relevant for management purposes. Its core element is cost accounting . Financial accounting records flows of money, goods and services from and to the enterprise in monetary terms, and the resulting state and changes in assets and liabilities.
Monetary profit is the basic measure of results.
Cost accounting analyses internal processes, factor consumptions and performances in detail, and is characterized by efficiency criteria. Both systems of accounting cover the production of goods and the provision of services as far as they contribute to monetary income. Social accounting aims at extending traditional accounting considering qualitative aspects such as quality of living and welfare. Originally social accounting included employees' working conditions, services provided, residential houses, sports facilities, nurseries, etc. Environmental accounting is the treatment of environmental issues in the financial statements and environmental evaluation.