Over the past few years, EFRAG has alternated between standard-setting and implementation support: 2021–2023 was devoted to developing the first set of ESRS, while 2024 saw three sets of implementation guidelines and the launch of the Q&A system (work on standards for SMEs and non-European companies was also concluding in parallel, but that required less time). Last year, the sole priority was simplifying the ESRS. So in 2026, EFRAG can finally turn to expanding its implementation support system.
How the system will function will be decided by the Sustainability Reporting Board, but first a draft plan for the activities supporting the application of the standards will be submitted to public consultation, scheduled for summer 2026. The initial work on the draft is already underway, carried out by a dedicated working group established within EFRAG.
I had the pleasure of organising, on 31 March 2026, a meeting between Laurence Rivat, SR Board member and head of this working group, and representatives of nearly twenty Polish companies, represented by those responsible for sustainability reporting. It was an opportunity to convey directly to EFRAG the companies' expectations regarding the support system. Many participants raised consistent proposals:
- Materials produced by EFRAG should explain the requirements of the standards in plain language.
- Examples are important, and ideally they should come from actual company reports.
- Although most reporting experts are proficient in English, it is important that materials are also available in Polish and other languages, so that they can be used within capital groups.
- When EFRAG launches public consultations on any materials, these should be scheduled at times convenient for companies, i.e. avoiding reporting periods.
- Responses to companies' questions should be published promptly, ideally within no more than 2-4 weeks. In addition, there should be a blackout period on releasing interpretations of the standards between October and March, because if an additional interpretation appears a week or two before the report approval deadline, neither companies nor auditors will have time to take it into account.
Participants also put forward a number of innovative ideas for how EFRAG could further facilitate companies' application of the standards. One was the establishment of a helpdesk, for example in the form of a hotline, where company representatives could seek clarification on the interpretation of specific provisions of the standards.
Will the SR Board take these conclusions and proposals into account? Not all expectations are likely to be met, but after the meeting Laurence assured me that the voice of Polish companies was one of the most interesting contributions in the series of meetings she had held in recent weeks. First, it came from a country outside the traditional circle of those participating in all consultations (France, Germany, Italy, the Benelux countries, and the Nordic countries). Second, she noted that the Polish company representatives spoke to the greatest extent about their day-to-day challenges in implementing the standards, and all contributions were focused on practice, not theory.
For my part, I intend to do my best to ensure that as many of the Polish companies' recommendations as possible make it into EFRAG's implementation work plan. And then, in the summer, the time will come for public consultation on the draft, and I will be encouraging all of you to participate actively. 😊
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