Commission to propose 'single', EU-wide set of company rules, says von der Leyen
President's remarks appear to renew a push for a strong “28th regime” at the same time as Parliament debates different options
A planned EU-wide company entity to help European startups grow across the single market will be “one single and simple set of rules”, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in Turin on Friday.
Her remarks, made at Italian Tech Week, also clarified that the initiative being planned by the Commission will not be “tweaking 27 national systems to bring them closer” – but, she emphasised, would instead start “something completely new”.
The comments appear to put the Commission at odds with discussions currently unfolding in Parliament, where MEPs are debating their position while they wait to see the EU executive’s proposal – set to land at the beginning of next year.
Social Democrat René Repasi, the lead MEP on the project, has proposed a softer approach of harmonising national company rules as much as possible. He’s concerned that all-new, unified EU rules for companies would prove divisive in Council – yet EU countries would need to give their unanimous backing in order for it to pass.
Divisions could also lead to huge delays on establishing a 28th regime, Repasi believes, as happened with other similar reforms.
Startup activists disagree. Organising under the banner of “EU Inc” they have been lobbying for an ambitious EU reform proposal – arguing that anything less would just further entrench existing barriers to companies scaling across the bloc.
Divisions do look likely, though. German trade union association DGB has already said it outright opposes the proposal, raising concerns that it will undermine worker co-determination in companies.
That’s especially relevant as DGB has, traditionally, had strong links to German Social Democrats (like Repasi). The party also currently controls the justice ministry in Berlin.
Concerns over labour standards also featured in a high-level Franco-German economic agenda agreed in September.
MEPs are set to debate their amendments to Parliament’s report on an EU-wide company entity in the legal committee on 13 October. Of the groups within the cordon sanitaire, only the Christian Democrats have argued against Repasi’s position.
(nl)
