European Single Electronic Format (ESEF) Reporting
Since January 1, 2021, all European issuers must report their full annual financial report in XHTML exclusively according to the ESEF standard (European Single Electronic Format).
The aim of this digital report is to increase transparency, analysis, comparability and accessibility.
There are several solutions for ESEF. There are relatively simple solutions where the PDF annual report is converted to an ESEF annual report and solutions where the entire ESEF annual report can be adjusted. In addition, it is possible to call in external help in preparing the report. The various options are listed below.
Solution A: Direct conversion from PDF/Excel
It is possible to directly convert a PDF annual report together with an Excel data template into an ESEF annual report. The conversion and setup is completely outsourced.
A possible solution for this is ParsePort an (i)XBRL conversion tool.
Solution B: Conversion from Excel, partly outsourced
In this case an Excel plugin is used to make an ESEF file. A choice can be made between doing it yourself or outsourcing it to the software vendor.
The output report is a simple report with some basic formatting, including pictures and logo's.
A possible solution for this is XBRL reports an (i)XBRL conversion tool.
Solution C: Disclosure management
A comprehensive Disclosure Management solution. With this solution it is possible to make annual reports yourself and then convert them to an ESEF format or PDF document. Word files can be imported, and any media file can be added. The customer is completely in control.
A possible solution for this is F19, an online package for creating digital reports including websites.
ESEF reporting solutions
| A | B | C | |
| Price | € | €/€€ | €€€ |
| Excel/PDF Conversion | ✔✔ | ✔Excel | ✔Excel |
| Conversion from Word | ❌ | ❌ | ✔ |
| Self labeling information | ✔ | ✔✔ | ✔✔ |
| Add images | ❌ | ✔✔ | ✔✔ |
| Add clips | ❌ | ❌ | ✔✔ |
| Size of ESEF output document* | Large | Small | Medium |
* The larger the size of the ESEF output document, the worse the performance is when displaying the file in a webbrowser.
More information
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