The EU wants to let you launch a company in 48 hours for under 100 €

Source
eu-inccompany-formationeu-regulationdigital-businesscross-bordereuropean-business-walletcompany-registration

Summary

The EU is proposing “EU-INC,” a new unified company framework that lets any entrepreneur register a company in any EU member state within 48 hours, fully digitally, for under 100 € and with no minimum share capital. The framework introduces a once-only data principle (submit info once, shared across all administrations) and a European business wallet for fully digital operations across all 27 member states.

Key Insight

EU-INC is a proposed single European company type that standardises incorporation across the entire single market of 450 million consumers. Three core features:

  1. 48-hour registration, sub-100 € cost, zero minimum capital. This is a dramatic reduction from the current patchwork where each country has different requirements, timelines, and capital minimums (e.g., Estonia’s OÜ requires 2 500 € nominal capital, though it can be deferred).

  2. Once-only principle. Companies submit their information to one public authority, and that data is automatically shared with business registers, tax authorities, and social security systems. This eliminates the repetitive paperwork burden that currently plagues cross-border operations.

  3. Fully digital by design. Registration, shareholder meetings, document storage, and capital operations all run through a new “European business wallet.” This means a company could theoretically operate across all 27 member states without physical presence requirements or country-specific bureaucratic friction.

The talent attraction angle is also notable - EU-INC is pitched as making it easier for European companies to compete for talent, though specifics on how this works were not detailed.

Important caveat: This is still a proposal. EU legislative timelines typically mean 2–4 years before implementation, assuming it passes. The details on taxation (which country taxes the EU-INC?), liability structures, and how this interacts with existing national company types are not yet clear.