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ESEF – The New Digital Reporting Mandate

ESEF – The New Digital Reporting Mandate

ESEF Digital Reporting Mandate: iXBRL-Tagged Annual Reports for EU-Listed Firms

ESEF represents a land mark shift toward standardized, digital-first reporting across Europe. It harmonizes financial disclosure formats, enabling investors, analysts, and regulators to seamlessly compare and extract data:

Technical Requirements

– XHTML Format: Annual reports must be published as valid XHTML documents, viewable in web browsers.
– iXBRL Tagging: Embed standardized iXBRL tags on key financial figures(revenue, profit, equity) to allow software parsing and validation.

Benefits for Investors & Analysts

– Machine Readability: iXBRL tags enable automated extraction of financial data, reducing manual entry errors and speeding up analysis.
– Comparability: Standardized tagging across EU issuers (“Revenue”tagged uniformly) facilitates direct peer comparisons.

Implementation Steps for IR Sites

– Reporting Workflow: Coordinate with finance and external auditors to generate iXBRL-tagged reports during the annual closing process.
– Site Integration: Host XHTML reports on your IR site alongside PDF versions, ensuring clear labeling (“Download ESEF Report”).
– Validation & Testing: Use the European Securities and MarketsAuthority’s (ESMA) validation tools to verify XHTML and iXBRL compliance before publication.

Ongoing Compliance & Updates

– Training & Policies: Educate IR and finance teams on ESEF requirements and update internal guidelines.
– Version Control: Archive ESEF reports in a dedicated section, maintaining a ten-year history for regulatory and investor access.

By implementing ESEF standards on your IR website, you not only satisfyEU mandates but also deliver a superior digital reporting experience, empowering investors and analysts with instant, accurate data access.

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