Concern grows over Commission’s plans for EU-wide company status

21 Oct 2025 | News

Draft document suggests the 28th regime will be delivered via a directive, which start-up associations fear would lead to fragmentation

Photo credits: Antoine Schibler / Unsplash

The European start-up community has warned that the European Commission’s plans to deliver the 28th regime would represent a “missed opportunity,” after a draft 2026 work programme suggested it wants to introduce the EU-wide company status via a directive.

Allied for Startups, the European Startup Network, EU-Inc and numerous national start-up associations wrote to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on October 17 to share their “deep concern” that a directive would leave it up to EU member states to decide how to incorporate its objectives in their national law.

By giving companies the option to form a pan-European legal entity rather than incorporating in a single member state, the 28th regime could radically simplify the process of expanding into other EU countries. It could also empower investors to back start-ups across the bloc without having to understand the local corporate law. But…