EU Inc. – Making it easier to do business in the European Union

On 18 March 2026, the European Commission presented EU Inc. – a new, unified set of rules for businesses intended to apply across the EU. The aim is to make it easier for businesses to set up, operate and grow throughout the EU. The optional, fully digital procedures are designed to enable innovative businesses to expand, encourage them to remain in Europe, and persuade companies that once considered relocating to return.

“EU Inc.” is part of the new, more comprehensive 28th regime, which offers businesses the opportunity to better exploit the benefits of the single market.

Background

Currently, start-ups and innovative companies face a fragmented corporate law landscape. With 27 national legal systems and more than 60 forms of company law, setting up a business can take weeks or even months. This slows down growth and increases costs.

The uniform, harmonised corporate rules of “EU Inc.” would mean that companies would no longer have to navigate multiple national legal systems. This would unlock the full potential of the single market and boost growth and competitiveness.

The key features of “EU Inc.” are expected to include:

• Faster registration and simpler procedures: setting up an “EU Inc.” within 48 hours, for less than €100 and with no minimum capital requirement; company information needs to be submitted only once via a single EU-level interface;
• Fully digitalised processes throughout a company’s entire lifecycle;
• Support for founders to restart quickly and cost-effectively: simplified liquidation procedures that allow innovative ideas to be tested and, if necessary, a restart to be made;
• Improved conditions for attracting investment through the removal of personal formalities, digital procedures for financing, and the simplification of share transfers with the possibility of stock market access;
• Unrestricted access to the single market through the free choice of the EU Member State in which the company is established;
• Strong safeguards against abuse: National labour and social legislation remains unaffected by the proposal. The applicable safeguards of the EU country of registration apply in full to “EU Inc.”

What will the central register at EU level be for “EU Inc.” companies?

The Commission will set up an EU-wide interface for “EU Inc.” companies, through which they can register their business and submit their data. The relevant information will only need to be submitted once. This should enable “EU Inc.” companies to focus more on their innovation and business activities.

Once the proposal comes into force, companies will be able to register and submit their data via this EU interface, which is linked to national business registers. In addition, the Commission will set up a new central EU register where all EU companies can record their business data – regardless of which Member State they are based in.

How will workers’ rights be protected?

“EU Inc.” fully safeguards workers’ rights. It is a proposal to streamline company law, which is not intended to affect labour, tax or other legislation. The focus of “EU Inc.” is on how companies are established and run – from registration, through corporate governance and shareholding structures, to digital business processes.

The rules protecting employees continue to apply in full in the Member State where the work is habitually carried out. These include, among other things, pay, working hours, health and safety, equal opportunities for women and men, protection against discrimination and protection against dismissal.

Companies have the same obligations towards their employees – regardless of whether they were established under national company law or under “EU Inc.”

The proposal also makes it clear that “EU Inc.” must not be used to circumvent existing rights. This includes, in particular, the right of employees to participate in the company’s decision-making bodies. In Member States where such provisions apply, they will continue to apply to every “EU Inc.” registered there.

Completion of the 28th regime

Furthermore, the Commission has adopted a communication setting out current and future initiatives to complete the 28th regime in other policy areas. Among other things, it proposes extensive digitalisation of interactions between companies and public authorities and calls on EU Member States to consider establishing specialised court chambers or courts with jurisdiction over disputes relating to “EU Inc.” company law.

Given the central importance of this for the EU’s competitiveness, the Commission calls on the European Parliament and the Council to reach an agreement on the “EU Inc.” proposal by the end of 2026.