EFRAG publishes report on SMEs sustainability reporting symposium at EAA Congress
EFRAG has released the summary report of the symposium 'Sustainability Reporting Standards for SMEs—What are the issues?' co-hosted with the Organismo Italiano di Contabilità (OIC). The event took place on 29 May 2025 at the 47th Annual Congress of the European Accounting Association (EAA).
Chiara Del Prete, EFRAG SR TEG Chair, opened the event with an overview of the voluntary sustainability reporting standard for non-listed micro-, small- and medium-sized undertakings ('the VSME Standard').
The discussion was moderated by Araceli Mora, EAA President-elect and Professor at the University of Valencia, and featured a panel including:
- Katharina Bryan, Amazon
- Elbano de Nuccio, Consiglio Nazionale del Dottori Commercialisti e degli Esperti Contabili (‘CNDCEC’)
- Alexander Stevens, Greenomy
- Angela Tanno, Italian Banking Association
- Sophia Zakari, SMEunited
The panel examined how sustainability reporting could move beyond a compliance exercise to become a strategic tool for SMEs, enabling access to finance, customers growth, and improved performance. They also debated the readiness of SMEs to engage in sustainability reporting, the support or capacity-building they most need, and the role of the VSME Standard in reducing reporting burdens while enhancing comparability across businesses.
Further discussion focused on the key enablers and barriers to the standard’s widespread adoption across the EU, the tools and guidance that could help SMEs get started, and how stakeholders like banks and large companies can support SMEs without imposing excessive administrative burden.
The symposium concluded with a keynote speech from Michele Pizzo, OIC President, followed by Q&A session.