01 — The 28th regime
A neutral reference on EU Inc, the EU's proposed 28th corporate regime.
EU Inc is an optional, pan-European company standard under negotiation. This site explains what it is, how it compares to the structures founders already use, and whether it fits a given situation. The final text is due Q4 2026.
The diagnostic is free and neutral. It sometimes concludes that the current structure is the better choice.
02 — Status, live
Five non-negotiables. Two under threat. One already removed.
EU Inc only works if the final text keeps its spine. Each pillar is tracked here, so the decision maps to what actually survives the negotiations.
Five-pillar status
Status of the proposal's five pillars, as of Nov 2026
03 — The regime
What EU Inc actually is, and what it is not
EU Inc is the European Union’s proposed “28th regime”: an optional, pan-European corporate standard for startups and scaleups. It is one set of rules sitting above the 27 national systems, not replacing them.
- The full 28th regime originally campaigned for
- One harmonized European company replacing national law
- A new EU company law or court system
- A plug-in into every country's legal system
- A path to a pan-European standard
- A competitiveness gain, only if implemented correctly
04 — The 5 pillars
The five non-negotiables
Every “should I incorporate under EU Inc” question reduces to these five. The free diagnostic scores a situation against them.
Free choice of registered office
Founders choose where to incorporate, independent of where they operate, hire, and pay taxes.
Under threatOne central EU registry
One register, one data standard, via Article 114 TFEU, meaning a Regulation, not a Directive.
Removed in draftAccess for all companies
No size caps, no revenue thresholds, no sector restrictions. Open to every company.
Under threatStandardized stock options
ESOP taxed on sale, not grant, with a safe-harbour valuation rule.
Under threatLocal labour & tax law
Labour and tax obligations follow real activity, not the company's registered address.
Confirmed05 — Why now
The negotiation window
The decisive negotiation phase is under way. Most of the ecosystem's energy goes to advocacy; comparatively little goes to understanding the decision itself. That gap is what this reference addresses.
Final text lands Q4 2026
The Commission, Parliament and Council are negotiating now. The “should I” question is decided before the text is final, not after.
Advocacy, not execution
More than 26,000 founders have co-signed open letters. The missing piece is a neutral explanation of the decision itself.
Registry-agnostic by design
The analysis holds whether or not the central registry survives. The decision depends on the pillars that remain.
Understanding before the regime
The comparison work is useful today, regardless of the final text. Being early is a matter of preparation, not cost.
06 — Diagnostic
Run the free diagnostic
Six questions, scored against the five pillars. The result is a neutral read on whether EU Inc fits the situation, including when the answer is to keep the current structure.