EU Inc: A Vision for a Unified European Corporate Structure

The concept of a pan-European company has garnered renewed attention, with an online petition launched in mid-October amassing over 10,000 signatures in two weeks. The petition advocates for the creation of EU Inc., a new company vehicle envisioned as Europe's answer to the Delaware C-Corp – one corporate structure that would transcend national boundaries across Europe.

Former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi has highlighted how the fragmentation of European nations drives high-growth companies overseas, particularly to the U.S., where entrepreneurs find a more unified market and better access to venture capital. This exodus depletes Europe's innovation pipeline and hampers development of its capital markets.

A growing political consensus says European companies would benefit from a simpler, harmonized set of rules for businesses to foster a more unified single market and enhance EU competitiveness. While the single market has achieved considerable progress in goods and services integration, corporate structuring and broader legal frameworks remain firmly anchored in national jurisdictions. That often creates friction in cross-border operations and restricts investment flows.

The startup community has emerged as the driving force behind the EU Inc. movement. Prominent supporters include founders from Stripe, DeepL, Wise and Rohlik, alongside major investors from Atomico, Index Ventures and Sequoia. Their collective voice emphasizes the urgent need for reform, with the petition scheduled for submission to the EU on December 1 to coincide with the incoming EU commissioners' agenda-setting.

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