August 8, 2025
ESAP: The new gateway to ESG and financial data in Europe
Starting in 2027, the EU will launch the European Single Access Point (ESAP) – a centralized platform designed to standardize access to corporate, financial, and sustainability information across Europe. This development presents new opportunities for companies, but it also introduces clear requirements for reporting, data management, and machine-readable formats.
What is ESAP?
The European Single Access Point (ESAP) is a digital platform initiated by the EU to centrally consolidate publicly accessible corporate data from all member states. ESAP is developed and operated by ESMA (European Securities and Markets Authority).
Its goal is to create a central, easily accessible data source for financial information, sustainability reports, ESG data, and other regulatory disclosures. Access will be multilingual, machine-readable, and free of charge.
Why was ESAP created?
ESAP is part of the EU’s strategy to complete the Capital Markets Union – one of the European Commission’s key initiatives in financial market regulation.
With ESAP, the EU aims to:
- Improve cross-border access to information
- Increase corporate transparency
- Enhance comparability of ESG and financial data
- Strengthen visibility of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
- Accelerate the digital transformation of corporate reporting
What are the benefits of ESAP?
ESAP is set to be a game changer for many stakeholders across the European economic area – especially for investors, financial analysts, NGOs, and media outlets.
Key benefits include:
- Unified access to structured data from across Europe
- Improved comparability of reports
- Greater transparency in the ESG space
- Support for sustainable investment
- Simplified data analysis thanks to machine-readable formats like XBRL
What challenges will companies face?
Despite its many advantages, ESAP also introduces new technical and organizational demands for companies:
- High complexity in integrating with national data collection points
- Ensuring data protection and IT security
- Compliance with diverse national and EU legal requirements
- Data must be submitted in machine-readable formats such as XBRL or XML
- Platform usability must be maintained
For many companies, this means adapting internal processes and building the necessary technological infrastructure.
How does ESAP work from a technical perspective?
The ESAP infrastructure relies on a two-step data flow process, with APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) playing a central role.
Step 1: Companies → National Collection Points Companies submit their structured reports (e.g. CSRD-compliant sustainability reports or ESEF financial reports) to national collection bodies.
These reports must:
- Be in standardized formats (XML, Inline XBRL, XBRL-CSV)
- Include digital seals
- Pass automated validations (e.g. for completeness and formatting)
Step 2: National Collection Points → ESAP
The validated data is then forwarded to ESAP via a second API and made publicly available – free of charge, multilingual, and digital.
Legal Framework & Timeline
On July 11, 2025, the EU published two key implementing regulations:
- EU 2025/1338
- EU 2025/1339
These define:
- The technical interfaces (APIs)
- Validation requirements
- Data formats and metadata (e.g. LEI, company size, sector)
- Responsibilities of national collection bodies
Platform launch: Summer 2027
Phased rollout: Completed by 2030 at the latest
What does ESAP mean for reporting professionals?
ESAP represents a fundamental shift for reporting professionals. It’s no longer just about producing a PDF report – it’s about providing structured, machine-readable data that can be validated and processed automatically.
Those who invest early in:
- XBRL expertise
- Tagging technologies
- Database-driven reporting will be at a distinct advantage.
Companies already working with ESEF or CSRD-compliant sustainability reporting are particularly well prepared.
How mms solutions supports you
As a technology partner specializing in digital reporting, mms solutions supports companies in meeting regulatory requirements – particularly in areas such as:
- Tagging & machine readability
- XBRL integration
- Automated data management
- Reporting platforms like nspublish and tagging.plus
Our solutions help ensure that data is delivered in a structured, compliant, and timely manner to the appropriate stakeholders.
Interested in learning more?
What does ESAP mean for your company?
How prepared are you for the digital shift in reporting?
Visit our topic page on Tagging & XBRL
Or reach out to us directly – we look forward to connecting with you!
Sources:
Implementing regulation - EU - 2025/1338 - EN - EUR-Lex
Implementing regulation - EU - 2025/1339 - EN - EUR-Lex
Einrichtung eines European Single Access Points (ESAP) • DRSC Website
