As of October 2013, the ETUI’s database of European Works Councils recorded 1,039 active EWCs in 962 multinational companies. The highest number of EWCs had been established based on the German (351), French (260), British (186) and Belgian (179) law. Since the entry into force of the recast EWC Directive 2009/38/EC, the pace of establishment of new EWCs seemed to be increasing steadily: at least 58 negotiations are known to be currently underway, and the sectoral European trade union federations report that more initiatives to open negotiations are in the pipeline.