Assessment of Sustainability Reporting from the EU Taxonomy Perspective: Evidence from Food-Processing Companies in the Visegrad Group

This study assesses the sustainability reporting practices of large food-processing companies in the Visegrad countries from the perspective of the EU Taxonomy. The analysis covers the 2021–2023 period, during the transition from the Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD) to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). Using a qualitative content analysis and a relative scoring method based on the six environmental objectives and 33 related activities defined in Regulation (EU) 2020/852, we evaluate both the occurrence and quality of disclosed sustainability information. The sample includes large companies representing more than half of sectoral financial indicators in each country. Results show that climate change mitigation receives the highest relative scores across all countries, followed by sustainable water use, biodiversity protection, and circular economy objectives, while climate adaptation and pollution prevention remain less developed. Mandatory reports consistently outperform voluntary ones in quality. The findings highlight both sector-specific sustainability priorities and the significant role of regulatory requirements in enhancing transparency and comparability in sustainability reporting across Central Europe.