EU Omnibus & CSRD: How companies can strategically leverage test reports

With the Omnibus proposal, the EU Commission aims to simplify the requirements of the CSRD and give smaller, non-capital-market-oriented companies more time to prepare their first mandatory sustainability report. For large companies with more than 1,000 employees and either over 50 million euros in revenue or 25 million euros in total assets, the reporting obligation is to be postponed by two years. For smaller companies, it may be eliminated entirely.

Instead of leaving this additional time unused, the proposal offers companies the opportunity to prepare for the CSRD early and strategically.

CSRD test reports as an advantage

Companies that start implementation early lay the foundation for robust processes, consistent data quality, proactive risk management, and long-term strategic positioning.

Conducting the double materiality assessment and a structured gap analysis are key steps in this process—with a particular focus on identifying and prioritizing relevant topics and risks. Climate-related risks are becoming increasingly important—not only in the context of the CSRD, but also as a key decision-making factor for customers, banks, and insurers.

The data points required by the CSRD (ESRS) also provide a comprehensive foundation for a wide range of other standards and customer requests, such as CDP, EcoVadis, and SAQ.5, and can be supplemented with company-specific topics as needed. Companies already in the midst of implementation should stay the course—not only to avoid the costs of restarting, but also to make effective use of the know-how they’ve already invested.

The time gained can be used to strengthen existing structures, further develop automation and data quality in key areas, and continue to professionalize internal processes. The resulting solid data foundation can then serve as the basis for strategic decisions—turning sustainability efforts into tangible business value.

Six steps for structured preparation

1. Clarify responsibilities and establish internal processes
   Before data collection and report preparation begin, it is essential to clearly assign roles and responsibilities. It should be clearly defined who is responsible for data collection, report consolidation and drafting, as well as quality assurance and, if applicable, design.
2. Identify, collect, and structure relevant data
   Identify relevant data early on, recognize existing gaps in data sources, and derive targeted measures for future data collection.
3. Set up the reporting process in a structured way
   The additional time granted by the Omnibus proposal allows for setting up processes, testing systems, and clearly defining responsibilities without unnecessary rush.
4. Control the data collection process effectively
   Especially in international organizations with multiple locations, centrally managing data returns is crucial to ensure consistency and completeness, and to avoid duplication of work and delays.
5. Integrate financial and sustainability data
   The CSRD requires high-quality and year-over-year comparable data—both financial and non-financial. A clean data structure and thorough documentation help prevent follow-up questions from auditors.
6. Use test reports as a strategic tool
   A CSRD test report uncovers optimization potential early and enables targeted development of processes. This not only improves report quality in the long run but also significantly reduces the effort for future reporting obligations. Additionally, it helps avoid penalties due to delays or non-compliance.

Insights from implementation

“As a subsidiary of a capital market-oriented company, the CSRD test report was a crucial step in helping us effectively manage the extensive data collection and set up a structured reporting process. Especially when more time is available for preparation, it’s beneficial to build the process step by step and screen the data. While the actual data request—especially with Tanso—can be carried out efficiently and in a short time frame, thorough preparation is essential.”

Anja Brauneder

Sustainability Manager at Pankl AG

‍

“Our CSRD test report clearly showed how challenging it is to efficiently collect and prepare relevant data—a process that not only requires time but also close coordination within the company. One of the biggest challenges was identifying the right contacts across the globe and gathering financial and sustainability data in the required quality and format. As an internationally operating company, we need to analyze and manage a large volume of incoming data in a purposeful and structured way. A clear strategy, well-designed processes, and the right system integration are essential for this. That’s why a test report is a valuable—and in my opinion, necessary—step we recommend to any company preparing to meet the upcoming requirements."

Alina Braun

Engineer Sustainability Management at Neumann Esser

‍

“Anyone preparing a CSRD report has to deal with many uncomfortable questions. The goal is to ensure that the business model is made future-proof in time. So my recommendation to you is: hold on to your sustainability managers and keep looking for ways to prepare your business for the future.”

Martin Hoffmann

Managing Director at ISEKI-Maschinen GmbH

Implementing CSRD reporting efficiently with Tanso

The Omnibus proposal gives companies more time—a benefit that should be used strategically. Those who start early not only lay the foundation for reliable CSRD reporting but can also sustainably optimize internal processes and data structures while securing their competitiveness.

Discover how Tanso can support your company in ESG reporting according to the ESRS (CSRD) or VSME standard. The software offers flexible mapping of various reporting requirements and enables efficient implementation of the relevant standards. By intelligently leveraging data synergies between ESG reporting and carbon accounting, processes can be significantly simplified, duplicate efforts avoided, data quality sustainably ensured, and strategically valuable insights derived.