On 10 September 2026, the European Parliament’s Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (“ECON”) has adopted its position on the reform of the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (“SFDR”), marking a significant milestone in the SFDR 2.0 legislative process. The position is expected to be endorsed by the European Parliament (the “
Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG)
SFDR 2.0: Where the Reform Stands
The EU institutions agree that SFDR should move away from Articles 8 and 9 towards three product categories. They remain divided, however, on two questions that matter particularly to private markets: fossil fuel exposure and an exemption for alternative investment funds offered exclusively to professional investors.
Where the process stands
The European Commission published its…
Next steps for Non-EU Groups in Scope of the CSRD
On 23 July 2026, EFRAG published an “Exposure Draft“ of the proposed sustainability reporting standards for certain non-EU undertakings under Article 40a of the Accounting Directive, known as the “ESRS-40a Standards”. The Exposure Draft sets out how in-scope non-EU groups would report under the CSRD framework. We summarise the key points below.
1…
Council position on SFDR reform agreed – with increased uncertainty ahead for private markets
By Michael Singh, John Verwey & Rachel Lowe on
On 24 June 2026, the Council of the European Union (the “Council”) agreed its negotiating position on reforms to the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (“SFDR”). The stated aims are to simplify sustainability transparency rules, reduce administrative burdens and make it easier for investors to understand and compare sustainable financial products.
This…
And… Score! Asset Managers’ Proprietary ESG Scoring Under Pressure from the EU ESG Ratings Regulation
The European Union’s ESG Ratings Regulation (the “Regulation”) will apply from 2 July 2026 and establishes a regulatory framework governing the provision of ESG ratings within the European Union. It introduces requirements relating to authorisation, governance, conflicts of interest and transparency, including public disclosures on rating methodologies (for example, via website disclosures).
Although primarily directed…
FinReg Timeline 2026
As 2026 begins, our Regulatory team has mapped the key legal and regulatory developments affecting managers of investment funds (including private equity, private credit, hedge and other alternative funds), insurers and other financial institutions operating in the UK, U.S. and EU. We have distilled the main dates into an easy-to-read timeline with brief commentary on…
CSRD Agreed: A Major Recalibration of the EU Sustainability Reporting Regime
On 16 December 2025, the European Parliament adopted a significantly streamlined version of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (“CSRD”). This represents a very significant recalibration of the EU’s sustainability reporting regime.
CSRD’s evolution
The CSRD represents the EU’s flagship framework for mandatory sustainability reporting. Originally designed to apply to a broad range of EU and…
SFDR 2.0 Officially Launched by European Commission
On 20 November 2025, the European Commission officially launched their legislative proposal (“Proposal”) for the updates to the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (“SFDR”). In a significant departure from the current SFDR disclosure regime, the European Commission proposes a categorisation regime for funds in its place.
The timing remains uncertain but we…
SFDR 2.0 Leaked: Freedom or New Investor Demands for Private Market Sustainability?
On 6 November 2025, the long-awaited “SFDR 2.0” has finally surfaced in a leak and, as many in the market expected, it represents a major reset of Europe Union’s (“EU”) sustainable finance framework. The proposal, still in draft form from the European Commission, aims to simplify the original Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (“SFDR”). Yet for…
European Parliament Rejects “Omnibus” Negotiating Mandate on CSRD and CSDDD Simplification
On 22 October 2025, the European Parliament voted against adopting a negotiating mandate on the European Commission’s Omnibus Directive – a proposal to simplify and streamline sustainability reporting and due diligence obligations under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (“CSRD”) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (“CSDDD”).
The vote was narrowly…