As of 1 June 2012 a total of 1,286 registered SEs were listed in the ECDB, 173 more than at the time of the previous update (1 March 2012). In terms of current distribution, the situation did not change a lot: less than one-sixth of the SEs today have been identified by the ECDB as having more than five employees. In practice, however, the number of normal SEs might be significantly higher as a consequence of the persisting gap in employment information caused by insufficient publication rules in the SE legislation.

Facts in brief since the previous News:

• New companies: 3 ‘normal’, 2 ‘empty/micro’, 165 ‘UFO’ (total: 170 new SEs).

• The Czech practice of "SE mass production" (113 new SEs within three months) seems to have reached the United Kingdom. A Czech trader has established 37 companies (currently inactive SEs) with the cooperation of a virtual office provider in London.

• 4 companies moved their registered office from one country to another.

• 2 companies were deregistered from national registers (plus one already in 2010) and one transformed into a national legal form.

• No SE establishments in new countries. As before, 25 European countries host European Companies (Bulgaria, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Romania, Slovenia host none).

• In addition to the already registered companies, the ECDB currently provides information on 20 planned SEs (8 new planned SEs).