This section provides an overview of the European company law directives which have been passed to date. It also provides a more detailed discussion of those directives with provisions for worker information, consultation and participation, as well as current proposals for directives which would have particular significance for worker involvement. It also contains information on other issues in European company law, such as the European Cooperative Society or the European Private Company (SPE). Both have significant implications for employees’ rights.

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Overview of Directives
Directive on cross-border mergers of limited liability companies (2005/56/EC) Cross Border Mergers

The cross-border merger (or CBM) directive was adopted by the Council of Ministers on 26 October 2005. The main objective of the directive is to make it easier to merge companies across European borders. It should be noted that the worker involvement provisions in the directive are weaker than those provided by the European Company (SE) legislation.

Frequently Asked Questions on the 10th Directive in ENGLISH and GERMAN

Directive on Takeover Bids (2004/25/EC) Takeover Bids

The 13th Company Law Directive (2004/25/EC, adopted 21.04.2004) regulates bids to take over companies listed on a stock markets. The main goal of the directive is to encourage takeovers in Europe by creating a legal framework for takeover bids, while at the same time providing minimum standards of protection for minority shareholders, and in theory other parties, such as employees.

Cross-border Transfer of the Registered Offices of Limited Liability Companies (proposed 14th Company Law Directive) Transfer of seat

The goal of the proposed 14th Company Law Directive is to create a mechanism for companies to transfer their place of registration to another EU Member State. Until now such an action was either not possible or required the company to be liquidated in its country of origin before it could be re-founded with a registered office in the new country. The Directive would make it possible, for example, for a German GmbH to transfer its registered office to the UK, and at the same time transform itself into a UK Ltd. That means that after the transfer of the registered office the company is organised by UK company law and no longer by German company law.

European Private Company (SPE)
European Company (Societas Europaea, SE) European Company (SE)

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Latest developments

A set of slides providing up-to-date facts and figures on the SE. Click on pictures to enlarge.

A set of slides providing up-to-date facts and figures on the SE. Click on pictures to enlarge.

SE Database (ECDB)

Click here to visit the ECDB Datababase!

A set of slides providing up-to-date facts and figures on the SE. Click on pictures to enlarge.

About the Worker Participation Europe network (formerly SEEurope network) Worker Pariticipation Europe (formerly SEEurope network)

To get in touch with the Workers Participation Europe Network, please contact:

Aline HoffmannHead of Unit, Europeanisation of Industrial Relations, ETUI Research DepartmentEWPCC CoordinatorTel. 0032 (0)2 2240519ahoffmann@etui.org

A list of Frequently Asked Questions on the European Company (SE) and the question of worker involvement within the SE.

FAQ SE (English)

FAQ SE (Deutsch)

FAQ SE (Francais )

Review 2010-13

The European Commission has started the review of the European Company Statute as foreseen in Art. 69 SE of the SE Regulation. The Commission shall forward to the Council and the European Parliament a report on the application of the Regulation and proposals for amendments, where appropriate. In this section we follow-up the discussions and proposals with regard to a possible revision of the SE legislation.

History of the European Company statute (ECS) History

The table provides an overview of the more than 40-year-long history of the European Company. This delay was caused by a deadlock in the Council of Ministers where unanimity was required. Resistance arose also on the question of board-level representation of employees. Objections were raised by "both sides": While countries with strong systems of board-level representation (like Germany or Austria) feared a weakening of their national systems, countries with rather weak - or even non-existent - board-level representation (like the UK and Spain) were afraid of importing something that is unknown to their industrial relations systems.

Countries / Transposition

Transposed on time (8 October 2004)

Transposed since October 2004

European Cooperative Society (Directive 2003/72/EC) European Cooperative Society

The European Cooperative Society (SCE) aims to reduce existing cross-border obstacles for cooperatives and to make it easier for them to operate across European borders. The SCE thereby complements the legislation on European Companies (SE) which has enabled companies to set up as a European public limited company. As in the case of the SE, the SCE legislation consists of a Regulation on the Statute for an SCE (1435/2003) and an accompanying Directive on worker involvement (2003/72/EC). The Regulation came into force from 18 August 2006, by which date the member states also had to transpose the Directive into national law.

Further information on the SCE can be found on the website of the EU Commission

European Private Company (SPE)

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Jan Cremers, Michael Stollt and Sigurt Vitols (ed.) A decade of experience with the European Company

Key questions addressed in the book are: How has the SE been implemented in practice? How great has the uptake of the European Company by the business community been? Are there significant differences between countries and sectors? What impact has the European Company had on business practice? Has it improved company mobility and flexibility? What impact has it had on national industrial relations systems and Social Europe? To what extent has it inspired other legislative initiatives by the EU Commission? What will the likely future development of the European Company be?

Publication date : 2013

Number of pages : 313

ETUI, Brussels, ISBN 978-2-87452-283-3

Free download

More information and order (ETUI website)

Michael Stollt, Elwin Wolters Worker involvement in the European Company (SE) - A handbook for practitioners Brussels: ETUI, 2011

In October 2001, the EU formally adopted the legislation on the European Company, also known by its Latin name Societas Europaea (SE). This handbook aims to ensure that the new opportunities for employee representation at European level which these new SE rules provide, are seized. It has been designed first and foremost to help practitioners to prepare and conduct negotiations on agreements on employee involvement in SEs.

Buy printed version : 15 Euro

Free download (pdf)

Michael Stollt, Elwin Wolters Implication des travailleurs dans la Société européenne (SE) - Guide pour les acteurs de terrain Brussels: ETUI, 2013
European Cooperative Society (Directive 2003/72/EC) European Cooperative Society

The European Cooperative Society (SCE) aims to reduce existing cross-border obstacles for cooperatives and to make it easier for them to operate across European borders. The SCE thereby complements the legislation on European Companies (SE) which has enabled companies to set up as a European public limited company. As in the case of the SE, the SCE legislation consists of a Regulation on the Statute for an SCE (1435/2003) and an accompanying Directive on worker involvement (2003/72/EC). The Regulation came into force from 18 August 2006, by which date the member states also had to transpose the Directive into national law.

Further information on the SCE can be found on the website of the EU Commission