Mid March 2026 marked by the launch of EU Inc. a major milestone for a more competitive and innovative Europe
Do you know what EU–INC is?
A proposal written by the European startup ecosystem for the European startup ecosystem.
A single company framework that could transform how businesses are built across Europe.
Europe, it’s time to scale.
The European Commission introduced EU Inc. on March 18th, 2026.
This means:
- Start a company in less than 48 hours
- Fully online and borderless
- No minimum capital requirement
Innovators and entrepreneurs won’t have to navigate 27 different rulebooks anymore. No more delays that slow down innovation. Just one set of rules designed for startups, scaleups, and global investors.
EU Inc. will cut red tape, reduce costs, and unlock the full power of the European Single Market, with 450 million consumers at your fingertips.
To compete globally, Europe needs speed, scale, and strength
On March 18th, the European Commission presented its proposal for EU Inc. a new single set of corporate rules, building the cornerstone and starting point for the EU’s 28th regime. EU Inc. is an optional, digital-by-default European corporate framework. It will make it easier for businesses to start, operate, and grow across the EU – incentivising them to stay in Europe, and encouraging those who once looked elsewhere to return.
For far too many entrepreneurs and innovative companies, expanding across EU borders means navigating a fragmented corporate legal landscape. European innovative companies face 27 national legal systems and more than 60 company legal forms. This complexity can delay the setup of a company for weeks or even months, slowing growth, raising costs, and discouraging scale.
EU Inc. is at the heart of the Commission’s response to these challenges: coming in the form of a regulation, it will provide a single harmonised set of corporate rules that companies can choose instead of navigating multiple national regimes, unlocking the true potential of the Single Market.
Read more in the EU Commission’s press release:
Commission presents proposal for EU Inc.
Key takeaways:
- Standardized company structure: EU-Inc aims to create a single, EU-wide company type with harmonised corporate governance, capital, and share capital maintenance rules.
- Digital-first approach: A fully online registry, dashboard, and standardized investment documents will streamline incorporation and management.
- EU-FAST investment: A new, standard, open-source investment instrument inspired by convertible instruments such as SAFEs and BSA AIRs1, which will facilitate early-stage funding.
- EU-ESOP: EU-wide employee share option scheme with standardised rules will help attract and retain talent
The main objectives of the EU-Inc policy proposal are:
- Standardized Corporate Structure: Establish a unified EU-wide company type with harmonized corporate governance, capital, and share capital maintenance rules to simplify cross-border operations and reduce administrative burdens.
- Digital-First Approach: Create a fully online registry (EU-Registry), management dashboard (EU-Dashboard), and standardized investment documents to streamline incorporation, management, and operations.
- EU-FAST Investment Instrument: Introduce a new open-source convertible investment instrument to facilitate early-stage funding for startups and scale-ups across the EU.
- EU-ESOP: Develop a standardized EU-wide employee share option scheme to attract and retain talent, offering competitive benefits and simplifying cross-border employee participation.
- Taxation Framework: Propose a consistent and balanced approach to tax rules, ensuring fair treatment for companies scaling internationally while respecting Member States’ tax sovereignty.
- Employment Recommendations: Provide guidelines for employment-related aspects, including employee participation, consultation, and rights, while maintaining flexibility for companies to operate efficiently.
- Global Competitiveness: Enhance the competitiveness of European startups and innovative enterprises by promoting accountability, predictability, and simplicity for founders and investors.
- Strengthen European Identity: Foster a unified ecosystem for modern companies to strengthen European identity and innovation in the global economy.
EU–INC – A true pan-European solution
- One new pan-European legal entity
- One central EU-level registry
- Standardized investment documents
- Standardized EU-wide stock options
- Local taxes & employment
- For every founder
In Europe, laws are still decided on the national level, meaning EU–INC. needs to convince all 27 EU member state governments to back it
EU–INC is crucial for European startups.
National governments need to understand the necessity of EU–INC for the future of Europe.
Why the EU–INC?
Europe has the talent, ambition, and ecosystems to create innovative companies, but fragmentation between European nations is holding us back.
“A startup from California can expand and raise money all across the United States. But our companies still face way too many national barriers that make it hard to work Europe-wide, and way too much regulatory burden.”
– Ursula von der Leyen, Oct 2024
Right now, expanding into another EU country means navigating 27 different legal systems, dozens of company forms, and weeks (sometimes months) of paperwork.
If approved, EU Inc. would change that:
- Register in 48 hours for under €100
- No minimum share capital required
- Operate across all 27 EU member states under one unified framework
- Submit your information once and it will be automatically shared across registers, tax, and VAT systems
- EU-wide employee stock option plans included
European startups and scaleups can finally compete on a level playing field. No more rebuilding the legal structure every time you enter a new market—big step toward making Europe a place where you can build globally, without leaving.
#Founders #Startups #Europe #ScaleUp #VC #Entrepreneurship
Michael McGrath
European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection
“A highlight of this week was the launch of EU Inc. — a major milestone for a more competitive and innovative Europe. A full week of press, meetings, and exchanges followed, including discussions with startups at the Tech Startup Campus in Ghent to discuss how the EU Inc will help them scale and succeed across the Single Market. Sincere thanks for my team for their outstanding work on this initiative that has the potential to be a game changer for the EU”
