On the 20th of January 2026, at the World Economic Forum (WEF) held in Davos, Switzerland, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, outlined the urgency in creating the strategic goal of European independence. A part of this objective is to endorse what President von der Leyen called "EU Inc." also known as the 28th Regime. President von der Leyen further went on to say that - “Our entrepreneurs will be able to register a company in any Member State within 48 hours – fully online. They will enjoy the same capital regime all across the EU. Ultimately, we need a system where companies can do business and raise financing seamlessly across Europe.” This proposal was also broadly recommended by the European Parliament on the same day, with the European Parliament proposing that the new form of company be named "Societas Europaea Unificata" (S.EU).
After a public consultation process with the Member States, the main aim of EU Inc. will be the creation of a pan-European corporate structure for private companies. The objective behind this will be to make it easier for companies to conduct business across the 27 Member States and strengthen the single market, which is one of the key pillars of the European Union.
Some of the other proposed key aims of EU Inc. include:
- Founders will be able to fully register an EU Inc. digitally within 48 hours with a minimum share capital requirement of €1.00.
- The European Union will house a single registry for filings associated with EU Incs.
- Member States will be advised to introduce harmonised “equity-like debt instruments" that EU Incs. can enter into with investors, allowing investors to invest in such companies without obtaining controlling voting rights.
- A harmonised framework will be created for employee share option schemes (without the need to navigate complex tax rules across multiple jurisdictions).
- An alternative specialised dispute resolution mechanism may be introduced that will streamline disputes involving EU Incs.
The EU Inc. will sit alongside the existing corporate legal structures available in each Member State. It will be something that companies can opt into. For example, in Ireland, founders will still be able to incorporate a private company limited by shares (Ltd). The European Parliament has also recommended that safeguards to existing national laws of the Members States be implemented, especially in relation to employment law.
It is expected that the European Commission will commence its legislative proposal for the EU Inc. in Q1 of 2026. The responsibility for initiating the legislative process lies with Michael McGrath, Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection and former Irish Minister for Finance.
For more information, please contact Brian Walsh or your usual contact in Beauchamps LLP.
