EU Introduces ‘EU Inc’ to Accelerate Startup Development Across Europe
The European Commission unveiled its proposal for “EU Inc” on March 18, 2026. This optional unified corporate framework is set to transform the way startups function across the 27-nation bloc. The initiative is a strategic move to bridge the competitiveness gap between Europe and the United States, where a single corporate law system has fostered the growth of 687 unicorns, in contrast to Europe’s 110.
With the EU Inc framework, entrepreneurs can establish a company within 48 hours for less than €100, without any minimum share capital requirements. This fully digital system enables founders to submit company information once via an EU-level interface. This interface links national business registers, automatically generating tax identification and VAT numbers. Companies opting for EU Inc will operate under a single set of harmonized corporate rules applicable across all member states. This eliminates the current complexity of navigating through 27 different legal systems and over 60 company forms.
The proposal has received backing from over 22,000 signatories, including prominent European founders and investors. It forms the cornerstone of the EU’s “28th regime” competitiveness strategy. The Commission estimates that the EU Inc framework will facilitate the creation of 300,000 companies in its first decade, providing employment to approximately 1.6 million people. The European Commission is urging the Parliament and the Council to reach an agreement on the proposal by the end of 2026, with a target for full implementation by 2028.