Assess the relationship between the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS®) pathway and routine care and 30-day postoperative outcomes. Prospective cohort study. European centers (185 hospitals) across 21 countries. A total of 2841 adult patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery. Each hospital had a 1-month recruitment period between October 2019 and September 2020. Routine perioperative care. Twenty-four components of the ERAS pathway were assessed in all patients regardless of whether they were treated in a formal ERAS pathway. A multivariable and multilevel logistic regression model was used to adjust for baseline risk factors, ERAS elements and country-based differences. A total of 1835 patients (65%) received perioperative care at a self-declared ERAS center, 474 (16.7%) developed moderate-to-severe postoperative complications, and 63 patients died (2.2%). There was no difference in the primary outcome between patients who were or were not treated in self-declared ERAS centers (17.1% vs. 16%; OR 1.00; 95%CI, 0.79–1.27; P = 0.986). Hospital stay was shorter among patients treated in self-declared ERAS centers (6 5–9 vs. 8 6–10 days; OR 0.82; 95%CI, 0.78–0.87; P < 0.001). Median adherence to 24 ERAS elements was 57% 48%–65%. Adherence to ERAS-pathway quartiles (≥65% vs. <48%) suggested that patients with the highest adherence rates experienced a lower risk of moderate-to-severe complications (15.9% vs. 17.8%; OR 0.71; 95%CI, 0.53–0.96; P = 0.027), lower risk of death (0.3% vs. 2.9%; OR 0.10; 95%CI, 0.02–0.42; P = 0.002) and shorter hospital stay (6 4–8 vs. 7 5–10 days; OR 0.74; 95%CI, 0.69–0.79; P < 0.001). Treatment in a self-declared ERAS center does not improve outcome after colorectal surgery. Increased adherence to the ERAS pathway is associated with a significant reduction in overall postoperative complications, lower risk of moderate-to-severe complications, shorter length of hospital stay and lower 30-day mortality. •Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS®) pathway in colorectal surgery is important.•The ERAS pathway must adhere to ERAS Society guidelines for optimal outcomes.•Adherence to ERAS guidelines was low in self-declared ERAS and non-ERAS centers.•Treatment in self-declared ERAS centers does not guarantee improved outcomes.•Improved outcomes can result upon strong compliance with ERAS-pathway interventions.