EU Opens Consultation on CSRD Sustainability Reporting Assurance Standards

The European Commission has launched a targeted consultation on proposed limited assurance standards for sustainability reporting under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). Announced on 12 November 2026, the consultation seeks feedback on how independent assurance providers should assess corporate sustainability disclosures, aiming to improve the credibility and consistency of ESG reporting across the European Union.

 

Under the CSRD, companies meeting specified size thresholds must obtain independent assurance of their sustainability reports. Following the EU's Omnibus I simplification package, companies will be required only to obtain limited assurance, with plans to remove the future transition to the more demanding reasonable assurance level. The approach is intended to maintain independent scrutiny while reducing reporting and compliance burdens.

 

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The proposed standards draw on technical advice from the Committee of European Auditing Oversight Bodies (CEAOB), alongside existing international assurance standards. The consultation invites views on proposed EU-specific adjustments, how the standards should operate within the European regulatory framework and how assurance reports can provide useful information to investors and other stakeholders.

 

The consultation is open to companies preparing sustainability reports, auditors, independent assurance providers, investors, standard-setting organizations, regulators and civil society groups. Stakeholders can submit responses until 18 January 2027. The feedback will inform the Commission's preparation of a delegated act establishing EU limited assurance standards, supporting greater consistency in sustainability reporting verification across member states.

 

Source: The European Commission