The new EU Inc. regulations are intended to make it easier for companies to expand in Europe. Members of the Würzburg Faculty of Law have contributed to this.
Many companies wishing to expand across borders in the EU are faced with a confusing legal situation: they are confronted with 27 national legal systems and more than 60 forms of company law, according to a press release from the European Commission. This complex situation can slow down economic growth, increase entrepreneurial costs, discourage expansion and delay the establishment of new companies.
The Commission wants to put an end to this situation: On 18 March 2026, it presented its proposal for an "EU Inc.", a single set of European rules for companies. It is intended to help fully utilise the potential of the single market. EU Inc. contains many ideas that were co-developed by researchers at the University of Würzburg.
International team active since 2016
An international research group, including Professor Eva-Maria Kieninger, Junior Professor Caroline Rupp and Professor Christoph Teichmann , all from the Faculty of Law in Würzburg, recognised as early as 2016 that the EU needs a "European Economic Code".
Following intensive comparative law research, the group presented a draft for a complete commercial code for the EU internal market in 2020. The German Society for Legislation honoured the 2025 project with the prize for good legislation - it is exemplary in terms of quality, comprehensibility and practicability.
The award was presented in Berlin by Federal Minister of Justice Stefanie Hubig (SPD) and Members of the Bundestag Günter Krings (CDU) and Carl-Philipp Sassenrath (CDU). In his laudatory speech, the latter honoured the team's pioneering work and appealed to politicians to adopt the proposal.
Researchers continue to work on EU Inc.
Professor Christoph Teichmann is delighted that the project has now found its way into European legal policy: "Politics sometimes goes its own way, but in this case it has adopted much of what was previously developed in academia."
Christoph Teichmann advised the EU Commission on the development of the EU Inc. text. For him and the international research team, however, the work does not end there: They are now scrutinising the EU Inc. draft for coherence and drawing up proposals for improvements to European and national legislation.
Weblinks
Press release of the European Commission on EU Inc.
Press release (in German) of the German Society for Legislation on the prize for good legislation
Project page (in German) of the international research group
