The EU is simplifying sustainability reporting
On 24 September 2026, Slovenia’s Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport announced that the European Commission had adopted two important delegated acts simplifying sustainability reporting requirements.
The changes form part of the Omnibus I package, which aims to reduce administrative burdens on businesses and improve the competitiveness of the European economy.
Simplified ESRS standards
The first important change concerns the European Sustainability Reporting Standards – ESRS.
The revised standards are designed to:
reduce the amount of required data, eliminate duplication and enable more proportionate reporting.
At the same time, the framework is intended to preserve the key sustainability information required by investors and other stakeholders.
When will the new standards apply?
The revised standards will become mandatory for the 2027 financial year, with companies reporting on that year in 2028.
However, earlier application is possible.
Companies subject to sustainability reporting requirements under Slovenia’s Companies Act (ZGD-1) may choose to apply the revised standards already for the 2026 financial year.
A voluntary standard for other businesses
A second delegated act introduces a voluntary sustainability reporting standard for companies that are not required to report under ZGD-1.
This standard can be used from 24 September 2026.
This may also be relevant to smaller companies.
Large companies frequently request sustainability information from suppliers even when those suppliers are not themselves subject to mandatory sustainability reporting.
The new framework therefore also addresses the maximum amount of sustainability information that larger business partners may request from companies in their value chains, with this limitation applying from the 2027 financial year.
The objective is less administration
The changes are intended to reduce the cost and complexity of sustainability reporting and create a more predictable system for businesses.
For companies subject to mandatory reporting, this should mean fewer data requirements and less duplication.
For smaller businesses, the voluntary standard provides a common framework for preparing sustainability information when requested by customers, banks, investors or other business partners.
👉 K2A advises: Even if your company is not directly subject to mandatory sustainability reporting, check what information your larger customers and business partners require. Sustainability data can become relevant for companies operating within larger supply chains even without a direct statutory reporting obligation.