Omnibus I (CSRD / CSDDD / ESRS)
European sustainability reporting: what the Omnibus I simplification changed
The Council of the EU gave final approval to the Omnibus I Directive simplifying the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) on 24 Feb 2026; it was published in the Official Journal as Directive (EU) 2026/470 and entered into force 18 Mar 2026. It raises CSRD scope thresholds to more than 1,000 employees and over €450 million net turnover. The European Commission separately adopted a delegated act on simplified ESRS (2026) on 3 Jul 2026, applying from financial years beginning on or after 1 Jan 2027 (with voluntary early adoption for FY2026). CSDDD national transposition compliance applies from 26 Jul 2029, with first reports covering financial years starting on or after 1 Jan 2030.
The Omnibus I Directive itself is in force. The revised CSRD scope thresholds, the simplified ESRS (2026) application date (FY2027), and the CSDDD compliance date (2029/FY2030) are distinct dates that have not all arrived yet — check which date applies to which obligation before concluding a specific requirement is currently due for your organization.
- Official publication date
- 24 Feb 2026
- Effective / expected date
- 18 Mar 2026
- Publication date is the Council's final-approval press release; effective date is the Directive's entry into force. Separate future dates apply to simplified-ESRS reporting and CSDDD compliance — see plain-language summary.
- Last reviewed
- 31 Aug 2026
- OCEANS™ content & research team
What changed?
The Council of the EU gave final approval to the Omnibus I Directive simplifying the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) on 24 Feb 2026; it was published in the Official Journal as Directive (EU) 2026/470 and entered into force 18 Mar 2026. It raises CSRD scope thresholds to more than 1,000 employees and over €450 million net turnover. The European Commission separately adopted a delegated act on simplified ESRS (2026) on 3 Jul 2026, applying from financial years beginning on or after 1 Jan 2027 (with voluntary early adoption for FY2026). CSDDD national transposition compliance applies from 26 Jul 2029, with first reports covering financial years starting on or after 1 Jan 2030.
Who may be affected?
Companies with EU legal entities, subsidiaries, listings, or significant EU revenue/employee presence — CSRD now applies at a narrower threshold (over 1,000 employees and over €450 million net turnover) than before the Omnibus simplification.
What information may be required?
- EU legal-entity and consolidated group structure
- Revenue and employee counts against the revised thresholds
- Which reporting wave/timeline now applies
- Value-chain information requests from EU customers
- Applicable simplified ESRS datapoints
- Assurance expectations under the revised regime
What should teams do next?
- Confirm whether the revised CSRD thresholds change your organization's or your EU customers' scope
- Track the simplified ESRS (2026) datapoints relevant to your reporting
- Prepare for continued or new value-chain data requests from EU customers
- Monitor CSDDD transposition in jurisdictions where you operate
What remains uncertain?
National transposition of the Directive, the final form of jurisdiction-specific ESRS guidance, and the practical scope of "value-chain" data requests under the simplified regime are still developing.
Value-chain impact
EU-connected large companies may request narrower but still material sustainability and value-chain data from non-EU suppliers as part of their own CSRD reporting.
Data to prepare, by workflow
Organizational boundary
EU legal entities and consolidated group structure relative to the revised CSRD thresholds.
Value-chain data requests
Scope 3 and supplier-level information EU customers may request under the simplified regime.
Disclosure preparation
Reviewed metrics and narrative responses aligned to applicable simplified ESRS datapoints.
Official sources
Council of the European Union
Council signs off simplification of sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements to boost EU competitiveness (opens in a new tab)Published 24 Feb 2026
European Commission
Simplification, implementation and enforcement — Better Regulation (opens in a new tab)EFRAG
European Commission publishes delegated act on revised ESRS and voluntary sustainability reporting standard (opens in a new tab)Published 3 Jul 2026
General information — not legal, accounting, regulatory, or assurance advice. Confirm applicability with qualified advisers. OCEANS™ Sustainability supports preparation, not a compliance or applicability determination.