EU Inc. Legislative Timeline

    Tracking the path from Commission proposal to first EU Inc. registrations.

    Last updated:

    MilestoneDateStatus
    EU Inc. campaign launchOpen letter from founders and investors calling for a pan-European company form.SourceOctober 2024Complete
    European Parliament recommendations adopted (492–144)2025/2079(INL) · Vote: 492-144Source20 January 2026Complete
    Commission announcement at Davos20 January 2026Complete
    Commission proposal publishedA Regulation, directly applicable in all 27 member states with no national transposition.COM(2026) 321 final — 2026/0074(COD)Source 1Source 218 March 2026Complete
    JURI rapporteur appointedRené Repasi (S&D, DE)Source23 April 2026Complete
    Commissioner presents the proposal to JURIFirst committee exchange of views with Commissioner McGrath.4 May 2026Complete
    Committee referral announced in plenarySource18 May 2026Complete
    Council Working Party begins technical examinationST 9684/26Source2 June 2026Complete
    JURI draft report tabledThe rapporteur's opening rewrite, not yet the committee's position.PE790.143v02-00 · René Repasi (S&D, DE) · 246 amendments29 June 2026Complete
    Council Working Party sessions and Presidency compromiseWorking Party on Company Law met on 2, 8 and 23 July; a Presidency compromise text was circulated.ST 12167/26Source2 July 2026 – 23 July 2026Complete
    JURI consideration of the draft report15 July 2026Complete
    ECON opinion adopted (by letter)Opinion of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, delivered in letter form.PE788.878 · Vote: 34-13-915 July 2026Complete
    EESC adopts its mandatory opinionINT/1123-EESC-00744-00-00-ACSource15 July 2026Complete
    JURI amendment deadline17 July 2026Complete
    JURI consideration of amendments7 September 2026Upcoming
    Competitiveness Council policy debateProvisionally listed on the agenda; a ministerial debate, not an agreement date.24 September 2026 (provisional)Upcoming
    JURI committee voteSeptember 2026 (provisional)Upcoming
    Plenary sitting5 October 2026 (indicative)Upcoming
    Regulation enters into force2027 – 2028 (estimate)Estimate
    Trilogue negotiations2027 (estimate)Estimate
    First EU Inc. registrations2028 – 2029 (estimate)Estimate

    Procedure file: 2026/0074(COD) on the European Parliament's Legislative Observatory. Entries without a source link carry the official document reference instead.

    What the Proposal Contains

    Each point below is tagged with where it comes from. The Commission's text is the starting point, not the final law — several of these are already disputed in Parliament or in committee opinions. See the glossary for unfamiliar terms.

    • InstrumentCommission proposal

      A Regulation — directly applicable in all 27 member states, with no national transposition.

    • Minimum capitalCommission proposalContested

      €0 — no paid-in share capital at incorporation, with creditor safeguards as a counterbalance.

      Disputed · Parliament draft report · 2025/2079(INL)

      Parliament's own earlier own-initiative report asked for a €1 minimum. The rapporteur has pushed to tighten safeguards around the zero-capital model.

    • RegistrationCommission proposal

      Fast-track registration in 48 hours for a maximum €100, requiring the standard articles template and natural-person founders.

    • Share transfersCommission proposal

      Fully digital, with member states prohibited from requiring a notary.

    • SAFEs and convertiblesCommission proposal

      Modern early-stage instruments such as SAFEs are explicitly permitted.

    • Public listingCommission proposalContested

      The proposal does not prohibit an EU Inc. from listing its shares.

      Disputed · Parliament draft report · PE790.143v02-00

      The draft report bans trading EU Inc. shares on public venues.

      Disputed · Committee opinion · PE788.878 (ECON)

      ECON asks that EU Inc. companies be allowed access to public markets — multilateral trading facilities and regulated markets — directly against the draft report's ban.

    • Who can use itCommission proposalContested

      Available to any natural or legal person — not restricted to startups.

      Disputed · Parliament draft report · PE790.143v02-00

      The draft report makes eligibility a hard rule, with a numeric startup definition and a list of excluded sectors.

    • Employee stock options (EU-ESO)Commission proposalContested

      An optional, EU-wide employee stock option scheme with taxation deferred until the shares are sold.

      Disputed · Committee opinion · PE788.878 (ECON)

      ECON asks for the scheme to be mandatory and for options to be taxed on disposal as capital income.

    • Relationship to national lawCommission proposalContested

      Article 4 links the company to the national law of its registered office for matters the Regulation does not cover.

      Disputed · Parliament draft report · PE790.143v02-00

      The draft report deletes Article 4, replacing it with a labour-law firewall and designated national gap-filler forms.

    • Ownership modelsCommission proposalContested

      The proposal contains no dedicated steward-ownership or asset-lock form.

      Disputed · Parliament draft report · PE790.143v02-00

      The draft report introduces ownership forms absent from the Commission text, including a steward-owned EU Inc.

    • Corporate taxCommission proposalContested

      Corporate tax stays entirely national. The proposal harmonises no tax base.

      Disputed · Committee opinion · PE788.878 (ECON)

      ECON asks for an optional tax module with a single consolidated tax base and centralised VAT and withholding — by enhanced cooperation if necessary.

    • CourtsCommission proposal

      National courts interpret the Regulation. There is no dedicated EU Inc. court.

    • Employee co-determinationCommission proposalContested

      Employment law follows the country of the registered office; the proposal adds no co-determination rules of its own.

      Disputed · Parliament draft report · PE790.143v02-00

      The draft report strengthens co-determination and adds measures against abuse.

    What Is Actually Contested

    8 of the 13 points above are disputed. These are the ones most likely to change before the Regulation is adopted.

    • Minimum capitalContested2025/2079(INL)
    • Public listingContestedPE790.143v02-00, PE788.878 (ECON)
    • Who can use itContestedPE790.143v02-00
    • Employee stock options (EU-ESO)ContestedPE788.878 (ECON)
    • Relationship to national lawContestedPE790.143v02-00
    • Ownership modelsContestedPE790.143v02-00
    • Corporate taxContestedPE788.878 (ECON)
    • Employee co-determinationContestedPE790.143v02-00

    Commission Target vs. Realistic Estimate

    The Commission has stated its aim: political agreement by end of 2026, operational rollout by 2028. Based on typical EU legislative timelines for legislation of this complexity — involving Parliament, Council, and trilogue — a more realistic estimate is entry into force in 2027–2028, with first registrations available to founders in 2028–2029. Major EU corporate law legislation has historically taken 3–5 years from proposal to entry into force.

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