The DPEF was the non-financial performance statement larger French companies included in their management report from 2017. It was replaced by the sustainability report under the European standards; the last DPEFs covered financial years starting in 2024. After France postponed the second wave and the EU limited mandatory reporting to companies with more than 1,000 employees and €450 million turnover in 2026, many former DPEF companies have no mandatory report and publish voluntarily.
What the DPEF was
The non-financial performance statement (déclaration de performance extra-financière, DPEF) was introduced in 2017 when France transposed the EU non-financial reporting directive. Larger companies included it in their management report: listed companies with more than 500 employees and a balance sheet above €20 million or turnover above €40 million, and unlisted companies with more than 500 employees and a balance sheet or turnover above €100 million.
What it contained
A DPEF described the business model and the main risks the company’s activity created in four areas: social, environmental, human rights and the fight against corruption, with tax evasion added later. For each risk it gave the policies applied, the due diligence carried out and the results, with key performance indicators. French law added specific topics such as the consequences of the activity for climate change, the circular economy, food waste and collective agreements. Above certain thresholds an independent third party verified it.
What replaced it
The ordinance of December 2023 that transposed the EU sustainability reporting directive replaced the DPEF with a sustainability report under the European standards. Companies in the first wave published their first sustainability report for 2024. Companies not yet in scope still produced a DPEF for financial years starting in 2024, and the DPEF obligation ended for financial years starting from 2025.
Many former DPEF companies now have no mandatory report
In April 2025 France postponed the second wave of sustainability reporting by two years, to the 2027 financial year. Then the EU’s 2026 amending directive limited mandatory sustainability reporting to companies with more than 1,000 employees and more than €450 million turnover. As a result, many companies that used to publish a DPEF have no mandatory sustainability report at all. The greenhouse gas report (BEGES) for companies above 500 employees in mainland France still applies.
What they publish instead
Customers, banks and investors keep asking for the information a DPEF used to contain. Many former DPEF companies continue on a voluntary basis, and the EU voluntary standard (VSME) gives them a common, shorter structure: energy and emissions, workforce, pay, health and safety, policies and business conduct. Keep the indicators you published before where you can, so readers can follow the trend.
Doing it in Greener Ahead
Sustainability reporting in Greener Ahead prepares a VSME report, Basic or Comprehensive, with the evidence beside every answer, for €995 per year. Carbon accounting calculates the carbon footprint and the BEGES categories for €1,495 per year. Both have unlimited users and a free 14-day trial without a card. Check the pricing page for current details.
DPEF, sustainability report and VSME compared
Three ways to report, side by side.
| DPEF | Sustainability report | VSME report | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Ended after financial years starting in 2024 | Mandatory for companies in scope | Voluntary |
| Who | More than 500 employees plus financial thresholds | More than 1,000 employees and €450 million turnover, plus listed companies in scope | Any company that wants it |
| Structure | Business model, risks, policies, results, indicators | European reporting standards with double materiality | Basic module of eleven disclosures, optional Comprehensive |
| Verification | Independent third party above thresholds | Limited assurance | Not required |
From your last DPEF to a VSME report
Most of the work carries over.
- List the indicators and policies from your last DPEF.
- Match each to its VSME disclosure, Basic first.
- Keep the same calculation methods, so the trend continues.
- Add what the VSME asks for that your DPEF did not, such as location-based Scope 2.
- Name the standard and module in the report.
Sources and scope
- EUR-Lex: Directive (EU) 2022/2464 on corporate sustainability reporting
- EUR-Lex: Directive (EU) 2026/470 amending the sustainability reporting and due diligence directives
- European Commission: 2025 VSME recommendation and standard
These resources explain a preparation workflow. Check your selected standard and recipient requirements before sharing your report.
Joost ThissenFounder
