CSRD: Information on the sustainability of large companies
Verified 08 January 2026 - Entreprendre Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
Large companies must integrate within a separate section of their management report the sustainability information or publish a sustainability status according to a phased-in implementation schedule starting from the 2024 financial year for large listed companies and financial institutions. The purpose of this information is to describe the company's impacts on the environment and business, as well as how sustainability issues (environmental, social and governance) affect the company.
What applies to you ?
An obligation to publish sustainability information also applies to large groups. One sheet dedicated to the obligations of groups of businesses (1re publication from 2025 or 2028) is also available. Subsidiaries subject to disclosure requirements whose information is included in the sustainability statement of the parent company shall be exempted from individual disclosure if their securities are not admitted to trading on a regulated market.
A fact sheet dedicated to information obligations regarding the sustainability of listed small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) (1re publication from 2029) is also available.
French unlisted
Businesses concerned
Thresholds
Large companies with head offices in France must include sustainability information within a separate section of their management report. The large companies are those which, at the balance sheet date, correspond to at least 2 of the 3 criteria during 2 consecutive fiscal years:
- Average number of employees employees in the fiscal year greater than 250
- Balance sheet greater than €25 million
- Turnover greater than €50 million
This information helps to understand the company's environmental and business impacts, as well as how sustainability issues affect the evolution of its business, results and position. Sustainability issues include environmental, social and corporate governance issues.
Please note
An obligation to publish sustainability information shall also apply to large groups of businesses (1re reporting from 2025 or 2026).
A fact sheet dedicated to information obligations regarding the sustainability of listed small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) (1re declaration from 2027 or 2029) is also available.
Types of businesses concerned
The following business shapes the obligation to publish sustainability information may concern:
- Businesses anonymous (SA)
- Limited Partnerships (SCA)
- Limited liability companies (SARL)
- Simplified share businesses (SAS).
The General partnerships (SNC) and the limited partnerships (SCS) are also affected by the obligation to publish sustainability information if all shares are held by persons having one of the following forms or by businesses of foreigners law of a comparable legal form:
- Limited company (SA)
- Limited Partnership (SCA)
- Limited liability company (SARL)
- Simplified joint stock company (SAS).
The obligation to publish sustainability information also applies to :
- Credit institutions
- Insurance companies subject to government control
- Supplementary occupational pension fund
- Insurance group businesses, mixed insurance group businesses
- Mutuals and unions, mutuals and supplementary occupational pension unions, group mutual unions
- Pension funds and their unions, supplementary occupational pension funds, social protection insurance group businesses
- Agricultural cooperatives and their unions
- Non-agricultural cooperatives
- Issuers on a regulated investment marketEEA required to publish an annual financial report.
FYI
The obligation to publish sustainability information shall not apply to UCITS: titleContent approved.
You can also check the obligations applicable to your company on CSR Portal :
Exemptions
The businesses unlisted whose sustainability information is included in a consolidating business which control them are not subject to the obligation to publish sustainability information on an individual basis.
The business management report must then indicate this exemption and mention:
- The name and seat of the consolidating business
- The link to the website on which the report on the management of the consolidating company group and its certification report are made available.
The consolidating business shall then be obliged to establish and publish:
- Either, if its head office is in theEuropean Union or theEuropean Economic Area, a report on the management of the group of this consolidating company, covering the business dispensed and, if any, the other companies it controls. This report must be drawn up in accordance with the regulations of the State in which the registered office is located.
- Or, if its head office is located outside these territories, a consolidated report on the sustainability issues of the group of this consolidating company, covering the business provided and, if any, the businesses it controls.
Please note
If the report drawn up by the consolidating company does not include the group’s businesses, they must then publish a management report including sustainability information.
The publication of this information will be mandatory from the financial year 2027 (1re published in 2028) for the large unlisted companies responding to at least 2 of the following 3 criteria :
- Average number of employees employed in the financial year above 250
- Balance sheet greater than €25 000 000
- Turnover greater than €50 000 000
Publication of sustainability information is mandatory from financial year 2024 (1re published in 2025) for the financial institutions responding to all of the following criteria during 2 consecutive exercises:
- Average number of employees employed in the financial year above 500
- Balance sheet greater than €25 000 000 and/or turnover greater than €50 000 000
- The financial institutions concerned are:
- Credit institution
- Company of insurance subject to government control
- Mutual or union of mutuals
- Pension institution or union of pension institutions.
Please note
The publication of sustainability information from the financial year 2024 does not apply the following main companies:
- Mutual Insurance Group businesses
- Mutual group unions
- Social protection insurance group businesses
- Agricultural Cooperatives and Unions of Agricultural Cooperatives
These companies will be subject to the obligation from the financial year 2027.
General
Sustainability information must be submitted in accordance with the Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) adopted by the European Commission.
Large companies must apply the 12 ESRSs to all sectors.
THEAccounting Standards Authority (CSA) published a educational guide for companies popularizing all ESRS in all sectors:
Deploying ESRS: A steering tool for the transition
Accounting Standards Authority (CSA)
Pour en savoir plus
Large companies must complete the information required in these 12 ESRSs by information specific to their company to address material sustainability issues not covered (or not sufficiently covered) by ESRS, if identified. This specific information (governance, strategy, policies, action plans, targets or indicators) is not standardized, but must meet the criteria set out in ESRS 1 Annex B (qualitative characteristics). This information must meet the following characteristics: relevance, faithful representation, comparability, verifiability, and comprehensibility.
When the Sectoral ESRS companies will be available as delegated regulations, and will have to progressively implement the sector-specific standards for their industry from the financial year 2027. Pending sectoral standards, entity-specific information will address material sectoral issues.
Ultimately, the major companies will:
- Apply the 12 ESRSs to all sectors
- Apply applicable industry standards according to their industry
- Complement their reporting with relevant specific information.
FYI
The section dedicated to sustainability information should contain a process description implemented in order to determine the information included therein.
Information on imminent developments or cases under negotiation may be absent from the report in exceptional cases under the following two conditions:
- Their publication would seriously damage the commercial position of the business, the reasoned opinion of the Board, the Management Board or the Manager
- A fair and balanced understanding of the business' business development, performance, status and impact is maintained.
FYI
The CSR Portal makes available a free tool that assists the company in the analysis of dual materiality, the collection of data from the company and the drafting of the sustainability report:
By way of derogation, if not all the necessary information on its value chain is available, the business shall explain the efforts made to obtain it, the reasons why not all of it has been obtained and the actions it envisages to obtain it in the future. This waiver shall apply to the first 3 financial years for which the business includes sustainability information in the management report.
Presentation of ESRS standards in all sectors
Typology of standards
The 12 ESRS standards for all sectors are presented in 4 sections. The standards are distinguished:
- Transverse
- Environmental
- Social
- Governance.
Cross-cutting standards
The cross-cutting standards are:
- ESRS 1: General principles
- ESRS 2: General information.
Please note
In the reports for the first 3 financial periods beginning on or after 1er In January 2024, companies subject to the obligation to publish sustainability information may, taking into account the applicable requirements based on employee thresholds, omit the information referred to in Appendix C of ESRS 1.
Environmental Standards
Environmental standards are:
- ESRS E1: Climate change
- ESRS E2: Pollution
- ESRS E3: Water and marine resources
- ESRS E4: Biodiversity and ecosystems
- ESRS E5: Circular economy.
Social standards
Social norms are:
- ESRS S1: company personnel
- ESRS S2: Workers in the value chain
- ESRS S3: Affected Communities
- ESRS S4: Consumers and end-users.
Governance Standard
The governance standard included in all-sector ESRSs is ESRS G1: Business Conduct.
Please note
More details are available in a European regulation:
Learn more about the European Sustainability Information Standards (ESRS)
European Parliament
Pour en savoir plus
Format
Sustainability information should be included in a separate section of the management report business.
Businesses that draw up a management report (in which they include sustainability information) should use the electronic language XHTML.
They will also have to mark up sustainability information, prepared in accordance with the CSRD and the EU Environmental Taxonomy, using the Single European Electronic Format (ESEF), and deposit it in a Single European Access Point (ESAP).
Consultation of the EESC
During at least one of the mandatory consultations, the French businesses must question the Social and Economic Committee (ESC) on sustainability information and on how to obtain and verify it.
Sustainability information shall be certified by a external auditor or by a Independent Third Party Organization (ITO), at the option of the ordinary general meeting of shareholders.
External Auditor
Designation
Apart from the cases of appointment provided for in the Statutes, the Statutory Auditors are appointed by the ordinary general meeting members or by the competent body performing a similar function.
THEdirectory of statutory auditors brings together all the Statutory Auditors:
Who shall I contact
For the performance of the tasks of certifying the accounts and certifying sustainability information, the External Auditor shall be appointed for a period of mandate of 6 fiscal years. By way of derogation, the business may decide to limit the term of office to three financial years.
His functions expire after the deliberation of the General Meeting or the competent body that decides on the accounts of the last exercise of his mandate.
Warning
The deliberations of the Ordinary General Shareholders’ Meeting shall be null and void in the absence of the regular appointment of Statutory Auditors or on the report of Statutory Auditors appointed or retained in office irregularly.
Where the statutory auditor so appointed is a natural person or a single-person business, one or more alternate statutory auditors shall be appointed under the same conditions. They may be called upon to replace the incumbents in the event of refusal, impediment, resignation, mandate, removal from the list or death.
Where the External Auditor has audited the transfer or merger of the business or businesses controlled by it during the last two financial years, the draft resolution designating the External Auditor shall disclose this fact.
Summonses
The Statutory Auditors are summoned to all :
- Meetings the board of directors or the executive board and the supervisory board, or the collegial administrative or management body and the supervisory body, which examine or adopt annual or interim accounts and which examine and adopt the sustainability disclosure report
- Assemblies shareholders or members or at all meetings of the competent body performing a similar function.
Opinion of the External Auditor
Statutory auditors appointed to audit sustainability information published by the company shall issue a opinions on their compliance the regulations and the following:
- Sustainability Information Standards (ESRS)
- Requirements stemming from those standards with respect to the entity’s process for determining published information, which includes, where the entity is subject to those standards, the obligation to consult with the Social and Economic Committee (ESC)
- Information markup requirements, in accordance with the XHTML electronic information format.
This opinion shall be the subject of a certification report to the statutory body.
Penalties
The following offense is punishable by 2 years imprisonment and €30,000 fine:
- The fact that, for any director of a business, having an auditor, does not convene him at any general meeting.
The following offenses are punishable by 5 years imprisonment and €75,000 fine:
- Any director of a business with an external auditor or any other person of that business who obstructs the audits or controls of the external auditors or experts responsible for reporting on one or more management transactions.
- Any director of a business with an auditor or any other person of that business shall refuse to allow the auditors or experts to provide on-the-spot information on all documents relevant to the performance of their duties and, in particular, on all contracts, books, accounting documents and records of minutes.
Independent Third Party Organization (ITO)
Designation
Apart from statutory appointments, independent third-party bodies (ITOs) are appointed by the ordinary general meeting members or by the competent body performing a similar function.
Where the ITO has only one auditor of sustainability information, at least one ITO or an alternate auditor shall be appointed under the same conditions. The latter will be called upon to replace the holder in the event of refusal, impediment, resignation of the mandate, removal from the list or death.
FYI
The appointed ITO must be certified by the French Accreditation Committee (COFRAC).
The independent third-party body shall be appointed for a mandate of 6 fiscal years. By way of derogation, the business may decide to limit the term of office to three financial years.
Opinion of the independent third-party body
The independent third-party body (ITO) designated to audit sustainability information published by the company shall issue a opinions on their compliance the regulations and the following:
- Sustainability Information Standards (ESRS)
- Requirements stemming from those standards with respect to the entity’s process for determining published information, which includes, where the entity is subject to those standards, the obligation to consult with the Social and Economic Committee (ESC)
- Information markup requirements, in accordance with the XHTML electronic information format.
This opinion shall be the subject of a certification report to the statutory body.
Summonses
Independent third-party bodies are called to all meetings the Board of Directors or the Management Board and the Supervisory Board.
They shall also be convened at meetings of the collegial administrative or management body and the supervisory body which examine or adopt annual or interim accounts and which examine and adopt the sustainability reporting report.
To learn more about the certification of sustainability information, a frequently asked questions has been published by the High Audit Authority:
Details on the conditions for the appointment of Statutory Auditors or ITOs certifying sustainability information
High Audit Authority (H2A)
Pour en savoir plus
Deposit of formalities to be annexed to the RCS and the RNE
Businesses per share (SA: titleContent, SAS: titleContent, SCA: titleContentetc.) and all other commercial companies (excluding CNS: titleContent, SARL: titleContent) must file the management report at the companies' formalities desk and, where there is one, the report on the management of the group, to be transmitted to the registry of the commercial court and then annexed to the RCS: titleContent and at RNE: titleContent. They must do so within aone month after the approval of the annual accounts or within 2 months of such approval where such filing is made by electronic means.
For the CNS: titleContent of which all partners indefinitely liable are SARL: titleContent or SA: titleContent and for all SARL: titleContentHowever, the business management report is not necessarily sent to the Registry but must be made available to any person who requests it.
Please note
All the information entered and documents annexed to the RNE, with the exception of the accounting documents covered by a declaration of confidentiality, are made available to the public free and in electronic form.
Transmission to the shareholders' meeting and shareholders
General provisions
One or more shareholders or partners representing at least 5% of capital or voting rights may request the inclusion in the agenda of the general meeting of a draft resolution requiring an accredited business to prepare a report on certain sustainability information. This business may not be linked to the statutory auditor or the ITO appointed to certify the accounts or sustainability information of the business. This report shall be made available to the members of this Assembly.
Businesses by shares
In the businesses by shares, from the convening of the annual ordinary general meeting and at least during the 15-day period preceding the date of the meeting, the business shall send the shareholders or make available to them the sustainability information certification report. At the request of any shareholder, the business must send this information before the meeting and at its own expense.
In the SA: titleContent, for an uninterrupted period beginning no later than 21 days before the meeting, listed businesses publish on the website the documents intended to be presented to the assembly. This includes the opinion of the External Auditor and sustainability information.
Other companies
In the CNS: titleContent and the SARL: titleContent, the management report, the inventory and the annual accounts drawn up by the managers are submitted to the shareholders' meeting for approval within 6 months of the end of a financial year, unless extended by a court decision.
The annual accounts, the management report and, where applicable, the consolidated accounts and the report on the management of the group shall be held at the head office, at the disposal of the Statutory Auditors at least one month before the convening of the meeting.
For this purpose, these documents, together with the text of the proposed resolutions and, where such documents exist, the report of the Statutory Auditors, the sustainability information certification report, the consolidated financial statements and the report on the management of the group must be communicated to the shareholders at least 15 days before the meeting of the assembly. Any deliberation taken in violation of this obligation may be canceled.
Any partner may ask questions in writing to which the manager is obliged to answer during the meeting.
Please note
In the SARL: titleContent, if the general meeting of shareholders has not been held within 6 months of the end of a financial year, public prosecutor or any interested person may refer the matter to the president of the court acting in summary proceedings. The latter may oblige the managers to convene this meeting or to appoint a proxy to proceed.
Who shall I contact
Transmission to the CSE
With a view to annual consultation of Social and Economic Committee (ESC) on the economic and financial situation of the company, the employer shall make available to him the following documents:
- Management report containing sustainability information
- Report of the Statutory Auditors
- Sustainability Information Certification Report
Transmission on request to any person
One copy of management report shall be issued to any person, at his own expense, at the seat of the business upon request. Delivery costs may not exceed the cost of reproduction. The person concerned shall be informed, at the time of his application, of the total amount of the fees to be paid, the advance payment of which may be required.
Remedies in the absence of disclosure of documents
Any person who has not been able to obtain the production, communication or transmission of sustainability information may ask the president of the tribunal giving an interim ruling:
- Either to force under on-call duty the business competent for the production, submission or transmission of the documents or information to be submitted
- Or to appoint a representative responsible for making this communication.
Where the application is granted, the penalty payment and the costs of the proceedings shall be borne by the business complained against.
French listed
Thresholds
Large companies quoted who have a registered office in France must include sustainability information within a separate section of their management report. The large companies are those which, at the balance sheet date, correspond to at least 2 of the 3 criteria during 2 consecutive fiscal years:
- Average number of employees employees in the fiscal year greater than 250
- Balance sheet greater than €25 million
- Turnover greater than €50 million
They are listed if their securities are admitted to trading on a regulated market.
This information helps to understand the company's environmental and business impacts, as well as how sustainability issues affect the evolution of its business, results and position. Sustainability issues include environmental, social and corporate governance issues.
Please note
An obligation to publish sustainability information shall also apply to large groups of businesses (1re reporting from 2025 or 2026).
A fact sheet dedicated to information obligations regarding the sustainability of listed small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) (1re declaration from 2027 or 2029) is also available.
Types of businesses concerned
The following business shapes the obligation to publish sustainability information may concern:
- Businesses anonymous (SA)
- Limited Partnerships (SCA)
- Limited liability companies (SARL)
- Simplified share businesses (SAS).
The General partnerships (SNC) and the limited partnerships (SCS) are also affected by the obligation to publish sustainability information if all shares are held by persons having one of the following forms or by businesses of foreigners law of a comparable legal form:
- Limited company (SA)
- Limited Partnership (SCA)
- Limited liability company (SARL)
- Simplified joint stock company (SAS).
The obligation to publish sustainability information also applies to :
- Credit institutions
- Insurance companies subject to government control
- Supplementary occupational pension fund
- Insurance group businesses, mixed insurance group businesses
- Mutuals and unions, mutuals and supplementary occupational pension unions, group mutual unions
- Pension funds and their unions, supplementary occupational pension funds, social protection insurance group businesses
- Agricultural cooperatives and their unions
- Non-agricultural cooperatives
- Issuers on a regulated investment marketEEA required to publish an annual financial report.
FYI
The obligation to publish sustainability information shall not apply to UCITS: titleContent approved.
You can also check the obligations applicable to your company on CSR Portal :
Publication of information on the sustainability of large companies quoted is mandatory from financial year 2024 (1è published in 2025) for large companies responding to all of the following criteria during 2 consecutive exercises:
- Average number of employees employed in the financial year above 500
- Balance sheet greater than €25 000 000 and/or turnover greater than €50 000 000
The publication of this information will be mandatory from the financial year 2027 (1è published in 2028) for all other large companies meeting at least 2 of the following 3 criteria during 2 consecutive exercises:
- Average number of employees employed in the financial year above 250
- Balance sheet greater than €25 000 000
- Turnover greater than €50 000 000
Please note
The publication of sustainability information from the financial year 2024 does not apply to:
- Mutual Insurance Group businesses
- Mutual group unions
- Social protection insurance group businesses
- Agricultural Cooperatives and Unions of Agricultural Cooperatives
These companies will be subject to the obligation from the financial year 2027.
General
Sustainability information must be submitted in accordance with the Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) adopted by the European Commission.
Large companies must apply the 12 ESRSs to all sectors.
THEAccounting Standards Authority (CSA) published a educational guide for companies popularizing all ESRS in all sectors:
Deploying ESRS: A steering tool for the transition
Accounting Standards Authority (CSA)
Pour en savoir plus
Large companies must complete the information required in these 12 ESRSs by information specific to their company to address material sustainability issues not covered (or not sufficiently covered) by ESRS, if identified. This specific information (governance, strategy, policies, action plans, targets or indicators) is not standardized, but must meet the criteria set out in ESRS 1 Annex B (qualitative characteristics). This information must meet the following characteristics: relevance, faithful representation, comparability, verifiability, and comprehensibility.
When the Sectoral ESRS companies will be available as delegated regulations, and will have to progressively implement the sector-specific standards for their industry from the financial year 2027. Pending sectoral standards, entity-specific information will address material sectoral issues.
Ultimately, the major companies will:
- Apply the 12 ESRSs to all sectors
- Apply applicable industry standards according to their industry
- Complement their reporting with relevant specific information.
FYI
The section dedicated to sustainability information should contain a process description implemented in order to determine the information included therein.
Information on imminent developments or cases under negotiation may be absent from the report in exceptional cases under the following two conditions:
- Their publication would seriously damage the commercial position of the business, the reasoned opinion of the Board, the Management Board or the Manager
- A fair and balanced understanding of the business' business development, performance, status and impact is maintained.
FYI
The CSR Portal makes available a free tool that assists the company in the analysis of dual materiality, the collection of data from the company and the drafting of the sustainability report:
By way of derogation, if not all the necessary information on its value chain is available, the business shall explain the efforts made to obtain it, the reasons why not all of it has been obtained and the actions it envisages to obtain it in the future. This waiver shall apply to the first 3 financial years for which the business includes sustainability information in the management report.
Presentation of ESRS standards in all sectors
Typology of standards
The 12 ESRS standards for all sectors are presented in 4 sections. The standards are distinguished:
- Transverse
- Environmental
- Social
- Governance.
Cross-cutting standards
The cross-cutting standards are:
- ESRS 1: General principles
- ESRS 2: General information.
Please note
In the reports for the first 3 financial periods beginning on or after 1er In January 2024, companies subject to the obligation to publish sustainability information may, taking into account the applicable requirements based on employee thresholds, omit the information referred to in Appendix C of ESRS 1.
Environmental Standards
Environmental standards are:
- ESRS E1: Climate change
- ESRS E2: Pollution
- ESRS E3: Water and marine resources
- ESRS E4: Biodiversity and ecosystems
- ESRS E5: Circular economy.
Social standards
Social norms are:
- ESRS S1: company personnel
- ESRS S2: Workers in the value chain
- ESRS S3: Affected Communities
- ESRS S4: Consumers and end-users.
Governance Standard
The governance standard included in all-sector ESRSs is ESRS G1: Business Conduct.
Please note
More details are available in a European regulation:
Learn more about the European Sustainability Information Standards (ESRS)
European Parliament
Pour en savoir plus
Format
Sustainability information should be included in a separate section of the management report business.
Businesses that draw up a management report (in which they include sustainability information) should use the electronic language XHTML.
They will also have to mark up sustainability information, prepared in accordance with the CSRD and the EU Environmental Taxonomy, using the Single European Electronic Format (ESEF), and deposit it in a Single European Access Point (ESAP).
Consultation of the EESC
During at least one of the mandatory consultations, the French businesses must question the Social and Economic Committee (ESC) on sustainability information and on how to obtain and verify it.
Sustainability information shall be certified by a external auditor or by a Independent Third Party Organization (ITO), at the option of the ordinary general meeting of shareholders.
External Auditor
Designation
Apart from the cases of appointment provided for in the Statutes, the Statutory Auditors are appointed by the ordinary general meeting members or by the competent body performing a similar function.
THEdirectory of statutory auditors brings together all the Statutory Auditors:
Who shall I contact
For the performance of the tasks of certifying the accounts and certifying sustainability information, the External Auditor shall be appointed for a period of mandate of 6 fiscal years. By way of derogation, the business may decide to limit the term of office to three financial years.
His functions expire after the deliberation of the General Meeting or the competent body that decides on the accounts of the last exercise of his mandate.
Warning
The deliberations of the Ordinary General Shareholders’ Meeting shall be null and void in the absence of the regular appointment of Statutory Auditors or on the report of Statutory Auditors appointed or irregularly retained in office.
Where the statutory auditor so appointed is a natural person or a single-person business, one or more alternate statutory auditors shall be appointed under the same conditions. They may be called upon to replace the incumbents in the event of refusal, impediment, resignation, mandate, removal from the list or death.
Where the External Auditor has audited the transfer or merger of the business or businesses controlled by it during the last two financial years, the draft resolution designating the External Auditor shall disclose this fact.
Summonses
The Statutory Auditors are summoned to all :
- Meetings the board of directors or the executive board and the supervisory board, or the collegial administrative or management body and the supervisory body, which examine or adopt annual or interim accounts and which examine and adopt the sustainability disclosure report
- Assemblies shareholders or members or at all meetings of the competent body performing a similar function.
Opinion of the External Auditor
Statutory auditors appointed to audit sustainability information published by the company shall issue a opinions on their compliance the regulations and the following:
- Sustainability Information Standards (ESRS)
- Requirements stemming from those standards with respect to the entity’s process for determining published information, which includes, where the entity is subject to those standards, the obligation to consult with the Social and Economic Committee (ESC)
- Information markup requirements, in accordance with the XHTML electronic information format.
This opinion shall be the subject of a certification report to the statutory body.
Penalties
The following offense is punishable by 2 years imprisonment and €30,000 fine:
- The fact that, for any director of a business, having an auditor, does not convene him at any general meeting.
The following offenses are punishable by 5 years imprisonment and €75,000 fine:
- Any director of a business with an external auditor or any other person of that business shall obstruct the audits or controls of the external auditors or experts responsible for reporting on one or more management transactions.
- Any director of a business with an auditor or any other person of that business shall refuse to allow the auditors or experts to provide on-the-spot information on all documents relevant to the performance of their duties and, in particular, on all contracts, books, accounting documents and records of minutes.
Independent Third Party Organization (ITO)
Designation
Apart from statutory appointments, independent third-party bodies (ITOs) are appointed by the ordinary general meeting members or by the competent body performing a similar function.
Where the ITO has only one auditor of sustainability information, at least one ITO or an alternate auditor shall be appointed under the same conditions. The latter will be called upon to replace the holder in the event of refusal, impediment, resignation of the mandate, removal from the list or death.
FYI
The appointed ITO must be certified by the French Accreditation Committee (COFRAC).
The independent third-party body shall be appointed for a mandate of 6 fiscal years. By way of derogation, the business may decide to limit the term of office to three financial years.
Opinion of the independent third-party body
The independent third-party body (ITO) designated to audit sustainability information published by the company shall issue a opinions on their compliance the regulations and the following:
- Sustainability Information Standards (ESRS)
- Requirements stemming from those standards with respect to the entity’s process for determining published information, which includes, where the entity is subject to those standards, the obligation to consult with the Social and Economic Committee (ESC)
- Information markup requirements, in accordance with the XHTML electronic information format.
This opinion shall be the subject of a certification report to the statutory body.
Summonses
Independent third-party bodies are called to all meetings the Board of Directors or the Management Board and the Supervisory Board.
They shall also be convened at meetings of the collegial administrative or management body and the supervisory body which examine or adopt annual or interim accounts and which examine and adopt the sustainability reporting report.
To learn more about the certification of sustainability information, a frequently asked questions has been published by the High Audit Authority:
Details on the conditions for the appointment of Statutory Auditors or ITOs certifying sustainability information
High Audit Authority (H2A)
Pour en savoir plus
Filing with the Autorité des marchés financiers
French businesses quoted on a regulated market of a State ofEuropean Economic Area (EEA) publish and file with the Autorité des marchés financiers one annual financial report in the 4 months which follow the end of their financial year.
This annual financial report shall be made available to the public for 10 years. It includes the following:
- Annual accounts and, where available, consolidated accounts
- Management report and, where there is one, the group management report
- Report on company Government
- Declaration by which the natural persons responsible for the annual financial report certify that, to the best of their knowledge, the components of that report are drawn up in accordance with the rules in force
- Report of the Statutory Auditors or auditors of third countries on the annual accounts and, if any, on the consolidated accounts
- Sustainability Information Certification Report.
Who shall I contact
Deposit of formalities to be annexed to the RCS and the RNE
Businesses per share (SA: titleContent, SCA: titleContent, etc.) shall file the management report at the companies' formalities desk and, where there is one, the report on the management of the group, to be transmitted to the registry of the commercial court and then annexed to the RCS: titleContent and at RNE: titleContent. They must do so within aone month after the approval of the annual accounts or within 2 months of such approval where such filing is made by electronic means.
Please note
All the information entered and documents annexed to the RNE, with the exception of the accounting documents covered by a declaration of confidentiality, are made available to the public free and in electronic form.
Transmission to the shareholders' meeting and shareholders
One or more shareholders or partners representing at least 5% of capital or voting rights may request the inclusion in the agenda of the general meeting of a draft resolution requiring an accredited business to prepare a report on certain sustainability information. This business may not be linked to the statutory auditor or the ITO appointed to certify the accounts or sustainability information of the business. This report shall be made available to the members of this Assembly.
In the businesses by shares, from the convening of the annual ordinary general meeting and at least during the 15-day period preceding the date of the meeting, the business shall send the shareholders or make available to them the sustainability information certification report. At the request of any shareholder, the business must send this information before the meeting and at its own expense.
In the SA: titleContent, for an uninterrupted period beginning no later than 21 days before the meeting, listed businesses publish on the website the documents intended to be presented to the assembly. This includes the opinion of the External Auditor and sustainability information.
Transmission to the CSE
With a view to annual consultation of Social and Economic Committee (ESC) on the economic and financial situation of the company, the employer shall make available to him the following documents:
- Management report containing sustainability information
- Report of the Statutory Auditors
- Sustainability Information Certification Report
Transmission on request to any person
One copy of management report shall be issued to any person, at his own expense, at the seat of the business upon request. Delivery costs may not exceed the cost of reproduction. The person concerned shall be informed, at the time of his application, of the total amount of the fees to be paid, the advance payment of which may be required.
Remedies in the absence of disclosure of documents
Any person who has not been able to obtain the production, communication or transmission of sustainability information may ask the president of the tribunal ruling by interim relief :
- Either to force under on-call duty the business competent for the production, submission or transmission of the documents or information to be submitted
- Or to appoint a representative responsible for making this communication.
Where the application is granted, the penalty payment and the costs of the proceedings shall be borne by the business complained against.
EU/EEA (excluding France)
This situation concerns large companies of which headquarters is not in France but is located in another State of theEuropean Union or theEuropean Economic Area.
FYI
Large companies are those that correspond to at least 2 of the 3 criteria during 2 consecutive fiscal years:
- Average number of employees employees in the fiscal year greater than 250
- Balance sheet greater than €25 million
- Turnover greater than €50 million
The publication of sustainability information should be carried out at the State administration in which the business has its registered office and in accordance with the rules of that State.
Please note
An obligation to publish sustainability information shall also apply to large groups of businesses (1re reporting from 2025 or 2026).
A fact sheet dedicated to information obligations regarding the sustainability of listed small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) (1re declaration from 2027 or 2029) is also available.
Not listed in third-country France
This situation concerns companies that are not listed on a regulated EU marketEU or theEEA. Companies listed on one of these markets outside France must publish sustainability information to the State Administration in which they are listed.
The businesses concerned by this situation are those which, during two consecutive financial years:
- Do not have a registered office in a Member State ofEuropean Union or theEuropean Economic Area (EEA)
- Have at least one branch in France of which the net turnover exceeds, at the year-end, €40 million
- Have a legal form comparable to share businesses (SAS: titleContent, SA: titleContent, SCA: titleContentetc.) and to businesses with limited liability (SARL: titleContent)
- Post a EEA net turnover which exceeds, at the balance sheet date of the last two consecutive financial years, €150 million
- Not controlled or controlled by another business.
These businesses must publish a report on sustainability issues, under the responsibility of the legal representative of the business in France.
This information helps to understand the company's environmental and business impacts, as well as how sustainability issues affect the evolution of its business, results and position. Sustainability issues include environmental, social and corporate governance issues.
Please note
An obligation to publish sustainability information shall also apply to large groups of businesses (1re reporting from 2025 or 2026).
A fact sheet dedicated to information obligations regarding the sustainability of listed small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) (1re declaration from 2027 or 2029) is also available.
The publication of a sustainability statement will be mandatory as of fiscal year 2028 (1è published in 2029).
Sustainability information will have to be submitted in accordance with the Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) adopted by the European Commission.
FYI
ESRS for non-European companies are under development. The European Commission builds on the technical work and advice of theEFRAG (European Financial Reporting Advisory Group) These draft standards shall be subject to public consultations prior to transmission to the European Commission.
Unavailable Information
Where sustainability status or information is not available, the legal representative of the business in France requests the information necessary for its business and establishes and publishes the sustainability status.
If the business does not provide all of this information, its legal representative in France shall establish the sustainability status and include in the sustainability status all the information in its possession, together with a statement that the business concerned has not made available the required information.
Where the business does not provide the sustainability statement containing the opinion on the conformity of the information, its legal representative in France shall produce a declaration indicating this.
Format
The sustainability status must be published at electronic language XHTML.
Sustainability information will have to be prepared in accordance with the CSRD and the EU Environmental Taxonomy, using the Single European Electronic Format (ESEF), and deposited in a Single European Access Point (ESAP).
Consultation of the EESC
During at least one of the mandatory consultations, businesses with an establishment in France must interview the Social and Economic Committee (ESC) on sustainability information and on how to obtain and verify it. This also applies to information published at the business group level.
Sustainability information shall be certified by a external auditor or by a Independent Third Party Organization (ITO), at the option of the ordinary general meeting of shareholders.
External Auditor
Designation
Apart from the cases of appointment provided for in the Statutes, the Statutory Auditors are appointed by the ordinary general meeting members or by the competent body performing a similar function.
THEdirectory of statutory auditors brings together all the Statutory Auditors:
Who shall I contact
For the performance of the tasks of certifying the accounts and certifying sustainability information, the External Auditor shall be appointed for a period of mandate of 6 fiscal years. By way of derogation, the business may decide to limit the term of office to three financial years.
His functions expire after the deliberation of the General Meeting or the competent body that decides on the accounts of the last exercise of his mandate.
Warning
The deliberations of the Ordinary General Shareholders’ Meeting shall be null and void in the absence of the regular appointment of Statutory Auditors or on the report of Statutory Auditors appointed or irregularly retained in office.
Where the statutory auditor so appointed is a natural person or a single-person business, one or more alternate statutory auditors shall be appointed under the same conditions. They may be called upon to replace the incumbents in the event of refusal, impediment, resignation, mandate, removal from the list or death.
Where the External Auditor has audited the transfer or merger of the business or businesses controlled by it during the last two financial years, the draft resolution designating the External Auditor shall disclose this fact.
Summonses
The Statutory Auditors are summoned to all :
- Meetings the board of directors or the executive board and the supervisory board, or the collegial administrative or management body and the supervisory body, which examine or adopt annual or interim accounts and which examine and adopt the sustainability disclosure report
- Assemblies shareholders or members or at all meetings of the competent body performing a similar function.
Opinion of the External Auditor
Statutory auditors appointed to audit sustainability information published by the company shall issue a opinions on their compliance the regulations and the following:
- Sustainability Information Standards (ESRS)
- Requirements stemming from those standards with respect to the entity’s process for determining published information, which includes, where the entity is subject to those standards, the obligation to consult with the Social and Economic Committee (ESC)
- Information markup requirements, in accordance with the XHTML electronic information format.
This opinion shall be the subject of a certification report to the statutory body.
Penalties
The following offense is punishable by 2 years imprisonment and €30,000 fine:
- The fact that, for any director of a business, having an auditor, does not convene him at any general meeting.
The following offenses are punishable by 5 years imprisonment and €75,000 fine:
- Any director of a business with an external auditor or any other person of that business shall obstruct the audits or controls of the external auditors or experts responsible for reporting on one or more management transactions.
- Any director of a business with an auditor or any other person of that business shall refuse to allow the auditors or experts to provide on-the-spot information on all documents relevant to the performance of their duties and, in particular, on all contracts, books, accounting documents and records of minutes.
Independent Third Party Organization (ITO)
Designation
Apart from statutory appointments, independent third-party bodies (ITOs) are appointed by the ordinary general meeting members or by the competent body performing a similar function.
Where the ITO has only one auditor of sustainability information, at least one ITO or an alternate auditor shall be appointed under the same conditions. The latter will be called upon to replace the holder in the event of refusal, impediment, resignation of the mandate, removal from the list or death.
FYI
The appointed ITO must be certified by the French Accreditation Committee (COFRAC).
The independent third-party body shall be appointed for a mandate of 6 fiscal years. By way of derogation, the business may decide to limit the term of office to three financial years.
Opinion of the independent third-party body
The independent third-party body (ITO) designated to audit sustainability information published by the company shall issue a opinions on their compliance the regulations and the following:
- Sustainability Information Standards (ESRS)
- Requirements stemming from those standards with respect to the entity’s process for determining published information, which includes, where the entity is subject to those standards, the obligation to consult with the Social and Economic Committee (ESC)
- Information markup requirements, in accordance with the XHTML electronic information format.
This opinion shall be the subject of a certification report to the statutory body.
Summonses
Independent third-party bodies are called to all meetings the Board of Directors or the Management Board and the Supervisory Board.
They shall also be convened at meetings of the collegial administrative or management body and the supervisory body which examine or adopt annual or interim accounts and which examine and adopt the sustainability reporting report.
To learn more about the certification of sustainability information, a frequently asked questions has been published by the High Audit Authority:
Details on the conditions for the appointment of Statutory Auditors or ITOs certifying sustainability information
High Audit Authority (H2A)
Pour en savoir plus
Annex to the SCR and the NSR
The status of sustainability issues, as well as the report containing the opinion on the compliance of this information or the statement indicating its absence, shall be lodged at the registry of the commercial court, through the company formalities window, to be annexed to the RCS: titleContent and at RNE: titleContent, in a 12 months from the end of the financial year. If necessary, these documents must be translated into French and certified as true.
Please note
All the information entered and documents annexed to the national register of companies, with the exception of accounting documents covered by a declaration of confidentiality, shall be made available to the public free of charge and in electronic format
Transmission to the CSE
With a view to annual consultation of Social and Economic Committee (ESC) on the economic and financial situation of the company, the employer shall make available to him the following documents:
- Management report containing sustainability information
- Report of the Statutory Auditors
- Sustainability Information Certification Report
Remedies in the absence of disclosure of documents
Any person who has not been able to obtain the production, communication or transmission of sustainability information may ask the president of the tribunal ruling by interim relief :
- Either to force under on-call duty the business competent for the production, submission or transmission of the documents or information to be submitted
- Or to appoint a representative responsible for making this communication.
Where the application is granted, the penalty payment and the costs of the proceedings shall be borne by the business complained against.
Listed in France as a third country or EEA
Thresholds
The businesses concerned by this situation are those which, during two consecutive financial years:
- Are large companies corresponding to at least 2 of the 3 criteria following:
- Average number of employees employees in the fiscal year greater than 250
- Balance sheet greater than €25 million
- Turnover greater than €50 million
- Are quoted in France: their securities are admitted to trading on a regulated market French.
- Correspond toone of the situations following:
- They have a head office outside France and have securities giving access to capital, debt securities giving the right to acquire or sell any other security or giving rise to a cash settlement (warrants or debt securities with a nominal value equal to or greater than €1,000 and which are not money market instruments) with a maturity of less than 12 months, which are admitted to trading on a regulated market of a State party to the Agreement onEuropean Economic Area (EEA)
- They have a head office outside the EEA and have equity securities, or debt securities with a nominal value of less than €1,000 and which are not money market instruments with a maturity of less than 12 months.
They must include sustainability information within a separate section of their management report. This management report is part of the documents constituting the annual financial report that business must transmit to the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF).
This information helps to understand the company's environmental and business impacts, as well as how sustainability issues affect the evolution of its business, results and position. Sustainability issues include environmental, social and corporate governance issues.
Please note
An obligation to publish sustainability information shall also apply to large groups of businesses (1re reporting from 2025 or 2026).
A fact sheet dedicated to information obligations regarding the sustainability of listed small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) (1re declaration from 2027 or 2029) is also available.
Types of businesses concerned
The following business shapes the obligation to publish sustainability information may concern:
- Businesses anonymous (SA)
- Limited Partnerships (SCA)
- Limited liability companies (SARL)
- Simplified share businesses (SAS).
The General partnerships (SNC) and the limited partnerships (SCS) are also affected by the obligation to publish sustainability information if all shares are held by persons having one of the following forms or by businesses of foreigners law of a comparable legal form:
- Limited company (SA)
- Limited Partnership (SCA)
- Limited liability company (SARL)
- Simplified joint stock company (SAS).
The obligation to publish sustainability information also applies to :
- Credit institutions
- Insurance companies subject to government control
- Supplementary occupational pension fund
- Insurance group businesses, mixed insurance group businesses
- Mutuals and unions, mutuals and supplementary occupational pension unions, group mutual unions
- Pension funds and their unions, supplementary occupational pension funds, social protection insurance group businesses
- Agricultural cooperatives and their unions
- Non-agricultural cooperatives
- Issuers on a regulated investment marketEEA required to publish an annual financial report.
FYI
The obligation to publish sustainability information shall not apply to UCITS: titleContent approved.
You can also check the obligations applicable to your company on CSR Portal :
Publication of information on the sustainability of large companies quoted is mandatory from financial year 2024 (1è published in 2025) for large companies responding to all of the following criteria during 2 consecutive exercises:
- Average number of employees employed in the financial year above 500
- Balance sheet greater than €25 000 000 and/or turnover greater than €50 000 000.
The publication of this information will be mandatory from the financial year 2027 (1re published in 2028) for all other large companies meeting at least 2 of the following 3 criteria during 2 consecutive exercises:
- Average number of employees employed in the financial year above 250
- Balance sheet greater than €25 000 000
- Turnover greater than €50 000 000.
Please note
The publication of sustainability information from the financial year 2024 does not apply the following structures:
- Mutual Insurance Group businesses
- Mutual group unions
- Social protection insurance group businesses
- Agricultural cooperatives and agricultural cooperative unions.
These companies will be subject to the obligation from the financial year 2027.
General
Sustainability information must be submitted in accordance with the Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) adopted by the European Commission.
Large companies must apply the 12 ESRSs to all sectors.
THEAccounting Standards Authority (CSA) published a educational guide for companies popularizing all ESRS in all sectors:
Deploying ESRS: A steering tool for the transition
Accounting Standards Authority (CSA)
Pour en savoir plus
Large companies must complete the information required in these 12 ESRSs by information specific to their company to address material sustainability issues not covered (or not sufficiently covered) by ESRS, if identified. This specific information (governance, strategy, policies, action plans, targets or indicators) is not standardized, but must meet the criteria set out in ESRS 1 Annex B (qualitative characteristics). This information must meet the following characteristics: relevance, faithful representation, comparability, verifiability, and comprehensibility.
When the Sectoral ESRS companies will be available as delegated regulations, and will have to progressively implement the sector-specific standards for their industry from the financial year 2027. Pending sectoral standards, entity-specific information will address material sectoral issues.
Ultimately, the major companies will:
- Apply the 12 ESRSs to all sectors
- Apply applicable industry standards according to their industry
- Complement their reporting with relevant specific information.
FYI
The section dedicated to sustainability information should contain a process description implemented in order to determine the information included therein.
Information on imminent developments or cases under negotiation may be absent from the report in exceptional cases under the following two conditions:
- Their publication would seriously damage the commercial position of the business, the reasoned opinion of the Board, the Management Board or the Manager
- A fair and balanced understanding of the business' business development, performance, status and impact is maintained.
FYI
The CSR Portal makes available a free tool that assists the company in the analysis of dual materiality, the collection of data from the company and the drafting of the sustainability report:
By way of derogation, if not all the necessary information on its value chain is available, the business shall explain the efforts made to obtain it, the reasons why not all of it has been obtained and the actions it envisages to obtain it in the future. This waiver shall apply to the first 3 financial years for which the business includes sustainability information in the management report.
Presentation of ESRS standards in all sectors
Typology of standards
The 12 ESRS standards for all sectors are presented in 4 sections. The standards are distinguished:
- Transverse
- Environmental
- Social
- Governance.
Cross-cutting standards
The cross-cutting standards are:
- ESRS 1: General principles
- ESRS 2: General information.
Please note
In the reports for the first 3 financial periods beginning on or after 1er In January 2024, companies subject to the obligation to publish sustainability information may, taking into account the applicable requirements based on employee thresholds, omit the information referred to in Appendix C of ESRS 1.
Environmental Standards
Environmental standards are:
- ESRS E1: Climate change
- ESRS E2: Pollution
- ESRS E3: Water and marine resources
- ESRS E4: Biodiversity and ecosystems
- ESRS E5: Circular economy.
Social standards
Social norms are:
- ESRS S1: company personnel
- ESRS S2: Workers in the value chain
- ESRS S3: Affected Communities
- ESRS S4: Consumers and end-users.
Governance Standard
The governance standard included in all-sector ESRSs is ESRS G1: Business Conduct.
Please note
More details are available in a European regulation:
Learn more about the European Sustainability Information Standards (ESRS)
European Parliament
Pour en savoir plus
Format
Sustainability information should be included in a separate section of the management report business.
Businesses that draw up a management report (in which they include sustainability information) should use the electronic language XHTML.
They will also have to mark up sustainability information, prepared in accordance with the CSRD and the EU Environmental Taxonomy, using the Single European Electronic Format (ESEF), and deposit it in a Single European Access Point (ESAP).
Consultation of the EESC
During at least one of the mandatory consultations, businesses with an establishment in France must interview the Social and Economic Committee (ESC) on sustainability information and on how to obtain and verify it. This also applies to information published at the business group level.
Sustainability information shall be certified by a external auditor or by a Independent Third Party Organization (ITO), at the option of the ordinary general meeting of shareholders.
External Auditor
Designation
Apart from the cases of appointment provided for in the Statutes, the Statutory Auditors are appointed by the ordinary general meeting members or by the competent body performing a similar function.
THEdirectory of statutory auditors brings together all the Statutory Auditors:
Who shall I contact
For the performance of the tasks of certifying the accounts and certifying sustainability information, the External Auditor shall be appointed for a period of mandate of 6 fiscal years. By way of derogation, the business may decide to limit the term of office to three financial years.
His functions expire after the deliberation of the General Meeting or the competent body that decides on the accounts of the last exercise of his mandate.
Warning
The deliberations of the Ordinary General Shareholders’ Meeting shall be null and void in the absence of the regular appointment of Statutory Auditors or on the report of Statutory Auditors appointed or irregularly retained in office.
Where the statutory auditor so appointed is a natural person or a single-person business, one or more alternate statutory auditors shall be appointed under the same conditions. They may be called upon to replace the incumbents in the event of refusal, impediment, resignation, mandate, removal from the list or death.
Where the External Auditor has audited the transfer or merger of the business or businesses controlled by it during the last two financial years, the draft resolution designating the External Auditor shall disclose this fact.
Summonses
The Statutory Auditors are summoned to all :
- Meetings the board of directors or the executive board and the supervisory board, or the collegial administrative or management body and the supervisory body, which examine or adopt annual or interim accounts and which examine and adopt the sustainability disclosure report
- Assemblies shareholders or members or at all meetings of the competent body performing a similar function.
Opinion of the External Auditor
Statutory auditors appointed to audit sustainability information published by the company shall issue a opinions on their compliance the regulations and the following:
- Sustainability Information Standards (ESRS)
- Requirements stemming from those standards with respect to the entity’s process for determining published information, which includes, where the entity is subject to those standards, the obligation to consult with the Social and Economic Committee (ESC)
- Information markup requirements, in accordance with the XHTML electronic information format.
This opinion shall be the subject of a certification report to the statutory body.
Penalties
The following offense is punishable by 2 years imprisonment and €30,000 fine:
- The fact that, for any director of a business, having an auditor, does not convene him at any general meeting.
The following offenses are punishable by 5 years imprisonment and €75,000 fine:
- Any director of a business with an external auditor or any other person of that business who obstructs the audits or controls of the external auditors or experts responsible for reporting on one or more management transactions.
- Any director of a business with an auditor or any other person of that business shall refuse to allow the auditors or experts to provide on-the-spot information on all documents relevant to the performance of their duties and, in particular, on all contracts, books, accounting documents and records of minutes.
Independent Third Party Organization (ITO)
Designation
Apart from statutory appointments, independent third-party bodies (ITOs) are appointed by the ordinary general meeting members or by the competent body performing a similar function.
Where the ITO has only one auditor of sustainability information, at least one ITO or an alternate auditor shall be appointed under the same conditions. The latter will be called upon to replace the holder in the event of refusal, impediment, resignation of the mandate, removal from the list or death.
FYI
The appointed ITO must be certified by the French Accreditation Committee (COFRAC).
The independent third-party body shall be appointed for a mandate of 6 fiscal years. By way of derogation, the business may decide to limit the term of office to three financial years.
Opinion of the independent third-party body
The independent third-party body (ITO) designated to audit sustainability information published by the company shall issue a opinions on their compliance the regulations and the following:
- Sustainability Information Standards (ESRS)
- Requirements stemming from those standards with respect to the entity’s process for determining published information, which includes, where the entity is subject to those standards, the obligation to consult with the Social and Economic Committee (ESC)
- Information markup requirements, in accordance with the XHTML electronic information format.
This opinion shall be the subject of a certification report to the statutory body.
Summonses
Independent third-party bodies are called to all meetings the Board of Directors or the Management Board and the Supervisory Board.
They shall also be convened at meetings of the collegial administrative or management body and the supervisory body which examine or adopt annual or interim accounts and which examine and adopt the sustainability reporting report.
To learn more about the certification of sustainability information, a frequently asked questions has been published by the High Audit Authority:
Details on the conditions for the appointment of Statutory Auditors or ITOs certifying sustainability information
High Audit Authority (H2A)
Pour en savoir plus
Filing with the Autorité des marchés financiers
Businesses listed on a regulated market French publish and file with the Autorité des marchés financiers one annual financial report in the 4 months which follow the end of their financial year.
This annual financial report shall be made available to the public for 10 years. It includes the following:
- Annual accounts and, where available, consolidated accounts
- Management report and, where available, the report on the management of the group
- Report on company Government
- Declaration by which the natural persons responsible for the annual financial report certify that, to the best of their knowledge, the components of that report are drawn up in accordance with the rules in force
- Report of the Statutory Auditors or auditors of third countries on the annual accounts and, if any, on the consolidated accounts
- Sustainability Information Certification Report.
Who shall I contact
Deposit of formalities to be annexed to the RCS and the RNE
Businesses per share (SA: titleContent, SCA: titleContent, etc.) shall file the management report at the companies' formalities desk and, where there is one, the report on the management of the group, to be transmitted to the registry of the commercial court and then annexed to the RCS: titleContent and at RNE: titleContent. They must do so within aone month after the approval of the annual accounts or within 2 months of such approval where such filing is made by electronic means.
Please note
All the information entered and documents annexed to the RNE, with the exception of the accounting documents covered by a declaration of confidentiality, are made available to the public free and in electronic form.
Transmission to the shareholders' meeting and shareholders
One or more shareholders or partners representing at least 5% of capital or voting rights may request the inclusion in the agenda of the general meeting of a draft resolution requiring an accredited business to prepare a report on certain sustainability information. This business may not be linked to the statutory auditor or the ITO appointed to certify the accounts or sustainability information of the business. This report shall be made available to the members of this Assembly.
In the businesses by shares, from the convening of the annual ordinary general meeting and at least during the 15-day period preceding the date of the meeting, the business shall send the shareholders or make available to them the sustainability information certification report. At the request of any shareholder, the business must send this information before the meeting and at its own expense.
In the SA: titleContent, for an uninterrupted period beginning no later than 21 days before the meeting, listed businesses publish on the website the documents intended to be presented to the assembly. This includes the opinion of the External Auditor and sustainability information.
Transmission to the CSE
With a view to annual consultation of Social and Economic Committee (ESC) on the economic and financial situation of the company, the employer shall make available to him the following documents:
- Management report containing sustainability information
- Report of the Statutory Auditors
- Sustainability Information Certification Report
Transmission on request to any person
One copy of management report shall be issued to any person, at his own expense, at the seat of the business upon request. Delivery costs may not exceed the cost of reproduction. The person concerned shall be informed, at the time of his application, of the total amount of the fees to be paid, the advance payment of which may be required.
Remedies in the absence of disclosure of documents
Any person who has not been able to obtain the production, communication or transmission of sustainability information may ask the president of the tribunal giving an interim ruling:
- Either to force under on-call duty the business competent for the production, submission or transmission of the documents or information to be submitted
- Or to appoint a representative responsible for making this communication.
Where the application is granted, the penalty payment and the costs of the proceedings shall be borne by the business complained against.
Who can help me?
The public service accompanying companies
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(Applicable as of January 1, 2025) Application to Cooperative businesses
Year of entry into force of the obligation by type of business
Publicity of the information transmitted to the RNE
(Applicable as of January 1, 2025) Submission of the MD&A to the partners
(Applicable as of January 1, 2025) Conditions for the application of the obligation to partnerships (SNC)
Application of the obligation to limited partnerships (SCS)
(Applicable as of January 1, 2025) Submission of the MD&A to partners in LLCs
Size of companies (micro, small, medium, large) and groups
(Applicable as of 1 January 2025) General framework for the publication of sustainability information for large French companies
(Applicable as of 1 January 2025) General framework for sustainability reporting for large foreign companies (non-EU/EEA)
(Applicable as of January 1, 2025) Filing of management reports at the court registry
Recourse to access non-transmitted information
Provisions concerning Statutory Auditors
Provisions concerning independent third bodies (ITOs)
Tabling of management reports at the Registry of the Commercial businesses Tribunal
Tabling of management reports as an annex to the National Register of Companies
Publication of certain documents 21 days before the shareholders' meeting
Details on the submission of the management report to the partners
(Applicable as of January 1, 2025) Documents made available to shareholders by the business
(Applicable as of January 1, 2025) Details on the deadline for requesting documents before the shareholders' meeting
Thresholds for company sizes and groups
(Applicable as of 1 January 2025) Details of sustainability information to be mentioned, businesses involved, etc.
Issuance of a copy of the management report to any person upon request
(Applicable from 1 January 2025) Filing at the Registry of the sustainability court (businesses with registered office in a third country)
(Applicable as of January 1, 2025) Non-application to collective investment schemes
(Applicable as of 1 January 2025) Listed businesses subject to the obligation to publish an annual financial report containing a management report
(Applicable as of 1 January 2025) Application to credit institutions
(Applicable as of January 1, 2025) Details concerning the annual financial report of listed businesses in France
(Effective January 1, 2025) Application to Insurance companies
(Applicable as of January 1, 2025) Application to mutual societies
(Applicable from 1 January 2025) Application to pension funds, supplementary occupational pension funds and social protection insurance group businesses
(Applicable as of January 1, 2025) Application to agricultural cooperatives
(Applicable from 1 January 2025) Consultation of the EESC for the compilation of sustainability information
(Applicable from 1 January 2025) Availability of sustainability information at the annual consultation on the company's economic and financial situation
Derogation for the first 3 years subject to the obligation to publish unavailable information in the value chain
Online service
Online service
Accounting Standards Authority (CSA)
Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF)
European Parliament
Accounting Standards Authority (CSA)
European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG)
European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG)