European Commission CSR Sections The European Commission is invested in promoting and supporting corporate social responsibility through the initiatives of several of its Directorates-General or through its specific websites. Information is available on the following websites:
- CSR Section of the Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry,
- CSR Section of the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities,
- European Commission Website on Sustainable Development.
European Legal Framework
In Directive 2003/51/EC, it is considered that:
"Enhancement, in line with current best practice, of the existing requirement for these to present a fair review of the development of the business and of its position, in a manner consistent with the size and complexity of the business, is necessary to promote greater consistency and give additional guidance concerning the information a "fair review" is expected to contain. The information should not be restricted to the financial aspects of the company's business. It is expected that, where appropriate, this should lead to an analysis of environmental and social aspects necessary for an understanding of the company's development, performance or position. However, taking into account the evolving nature of this area of financial reporting and having regard to the potential burden placed on undertakings below certain sizes, Member States may choose to waive the obligation to provide non-financial information in the case of the annual report of such undertakings."
Directive 2003/21/EC...
Directive 2003/21/EC...
On 30 May 2001, the European Commission adopted a recommendation on the recognition, measurement and disclosure of environmental issues in the annual accounts and annual reports of companies.
It noted the absence of guidelines that have been agreed upon and the fact that this makes the information communicated less credible. This document therefore provides comprehensive guidance in the disclosure of environmental information in accordance with existing accounting standards. It thus hopes to allow for greater comparability and transparency of such information.
Recommandation 2001/453/CE...
Recommendation 2001/453/EC...
European studies
Recueil 2007 des politiques publiqu...
2007 Compendium of corporate social...
2011 Responsabilité sociale des ent...
2011 Compendium of corporate social...
The Commission's aim in undertaking the study was to illustrate how companies deal with CSR reporting in practice. Companies reporting on CSR act as a lever for more CSR to be undertaken.
The study looks at:
- how companies report and the challenges in reporting,
- the extent to which companies' reporting practices and readers' needs match, and
- what public policy instruments are available to stimulate reporting. The study notes the extent to which CSR reporting has increased in recent years – although it clarifies that there is still a lot to do.
The study shows that companies report because it enhances reputation, even though for some it is costly. Companies face challenges in selecting what to report on, in how sensitive different data is, in organising content, and in correctly pitching quality.
The research reveals that readers of CSR reporting look for a genuine attempt by companies to honestly and realistically portray their CSR activities, in a way that is a useful contribution to readers' assessment of the sustainability of companies' activities.
Where the study matches companies and readers' perspectives, it finds that regulation of reporting, CSR reporting integrated with financial reporting, and stronger stakeholder engagement are key influences in the face of certain unmet needs of readers.
The state of play in sustainability...
Executive Summary - The State of Pl...
European Directive of 2003 European Recommendation of 2001 Compendium of corporate social responsibility (CSR) public policies in the EU The state of play in sustainability reporting in the European UnionCART OF ITEMS
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