WEC President Bettina Schaller has once again been entrusted with the role of Co-Chair of the B20 South Africa Task Force on Employment and Education. The group held its first meeting on April 17 and served as a platform for members to provide initial input to the document that will be presented at the G20 later this year.

So what? This year’s priorities are hitting all the right notes with key areas in the HR services industry: youth transition into work (a sizzling topic at the World Employment Conference 2025 in Cape Town) and building resilient jobs. Leading the charge in this process is a golden opportunity to shape the final recommendations and make sure our industry’s voice is heard loud and clear. 

Then what? While the negotiations of the recommendations will stay under wraps until the final document is ready, you can bet the WEC team will be at the helm, steering this ship towards success.

Stop the Clock on the Application of the CSRD. The Council of the European Union gave its final green light on one of the Commission’s proposals to simplify EU rules and thus boost EU competitiveness. This proposal (aptly named ‘Stop-the-clock’ directive) postpones the dates of application of certain corporate sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements, as well as the transposition deadline of the due diligence provisions.

So what? The proposal introduces a two-year postponement of reporting requirements for in-scope companies that are currently required to report in 2026 and 2027 (second and third wave companies).

Then what? While the ‘Stop the clock’ procedure is almost published in the Official Journal, the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) has been tasked by the Commission to revise the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). The first round of feedback has already started and WEC’s CSRD Taskforce is on top of this process.