Corporate sustainability reporting - European Commission
Skip to main content
Finance

Corporate sustainability reporting

EU rules require large companies and listed companies to publish regular reports on the social and environmental risks they face, and on how their activities impact people and  the environment.

What the EU is doing and why

EU law requires companies above a certain size to disclose information on what they see as the risks and opportunities arising from social and environmental issues, and on the impact of their activities on people and the environment.

This helps investors, civil society organisations, consumers and other stakeholders to evaluate the sustainability performance of companies, as part of the European green deal.

The first companies subject to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) have to apply the new rules for the first time in the 2024 financial year, for reports published in 2025.

Companies subject to the CSRD have to report according to European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). The standards are developed in a draft form by the EFRAG, previously known as the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group, an independent body bringing together various different stakeholders.

Policy making timeline

  1. 11 July 2025
    Legislation - ESRS

    Adoption of a “quick‑fix” delegated act to revise the first set of ESRS.

    This revision gives additional flexibility in reporting to wave one companies and ensures that they do not have to report additional information for financial years 2025 and 2026 compared to what they had to report for financial 2024.

  2. 14 April 2025
    Legislation - “Stop‑the‑clock” Directive

    Political agreement between the European Parliament and the Council on the “stop‑the‑clock” Directive.

    The “stop‑the‑clock” Directive postpones the entry into application of the reporting requirements for those companies that were previously required to report for the first time for financial years 2025 or 2026 (wave two and wave three companies).

  3. 26 February 2025
    Legislative package - Simplification omnibus

    Legislative package to simplify EU rules and boost competitiveness (Omnibus  package).

    Among other things, the package proposes to apply the CSRD only to the largest companies (those with more than 1000 employees), focusing the sustainability reporting obligations on the companies which are more likely to have the biggest impacts on people and the environment. Moreover, it seeks to ensure that reporting requirements on large companies do not burden smaller companies in their value chains.

  4. 2 May 2024
    Guidance - Corporate sustainability reporting
  5. 22 December 2023
    Legislation - European sustainability reporting standards
  6. 31 July 2023
    Legislation - European sustainability reporting standards
  7. 9 June 2023
    Legislation - European sustainability reporting standards

    Opening of feedback process of a first set of draft sustainability reporting standards for companies, opening a four-week public feedback period.

    Following the feedback period, the Commission will consider the feedback received before finalising the standards as delegated acts and submitting them to the European Parliament and Council for scrutiny.

  8. 14 December 2022
    Legislation - Corporate Sustainability Reporting
  9. 23 November 2022
    Standards - Corporate Sustainability Reporting
  10. 21 April 2021
    Legislative proposal - Corporate Sustainability Reporting

    Proposal for a Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) to amend the reporting requirements of the NFRD.

  11. 8 March 2021
    Reports - EU sustainability reporting standards
  12. 20 February 2020
    Consultation - Non-financial reporting
  13. 20 February 2019
    Consultation - Non-financial reporting
  14. 18 June 2019
    Guidelines - Non-financial reporting

    Guidelines on reporting climate-related information, which in practice consist of a new supplement to the existing guidelines on non-financial reporting, which remain applicable.

  15. 26 June 2017
    Guidelines - Non-financial reporting

    Guidelines to help companies disclose environmental and social information. These guidelines are not mandatory, and companies may decide to use international, European or national guidelines according to their own characteristics or business environment.

  16. 28 January 2015
    Consultation - Non-financial reporting
  17. 22 October 2014
    Legislation - Non-financial reporting
  18. 15 April 2014
    Frequently asked questions - Non-financial reporting

Relevant legislation