EFRAG launches a call for expression of interest on voluntary sustainability reporting by non-SME companies outside the scope of the CSRD

EFRAG is calling on companies and other stakeholders across the EU to take part in future engagement and research activities on the application of the upcoming Voluntary Standard (VS) by non-SME companies outside the scope of the CSRD. In particular, EFRAG will consider applications from EU companies that are not SMEs and have fewer than 1,000 employees or an annual turnover of less than €450m. The invitation also extends to a wide range of participants, including auditors, business associations, lenders, business partners, investors and other users of sustainability information.

Activities may include webinars, surveys, events and interviews, aimed at gathering insights into how sustainability reporting is evolving across Europe and how the forthcoming voluntary standard could be applied in practice.

To take part, interested parties are invited to send an email to VRcontactlist@efrag.org by 20 April 2026

The adoption of the Omnibus I Package has significantly reduced the number of companies within the scope of mandatory adoption of the (simplified) ESRS. Companies outside the scope remain free to carry out voluntary sustainability reporting.

Later this year, the European Commission is expected to issue the VS as a Delegated Act, which will be available to companies outside the scope of the CSRD. The new VS will be based on the Voluntary Standard for SMEs (VSME) issued by EFRAG in December 2024, which was endorsed by the European Commission in July 2025 (Commission Recommendation 2025/4984).

EFRAG has already in place a continuous dialogue with SMEs and the users of their reporting and is now willing to start a dialogue with non-SME companies that are outside the scope of the ESRS and may consider using the voluntary standard on a voluntary basis.