EU Inc. could level playing field for Central European start-ups

The European Commission introduced a new pan-EU corporate form called EU Inc., designed to let entrepreneurs set up a single company that operates across all 27 member states within two days and for a modest fee. Proponents say the scheme will erase the “country-of-origin” stigma that forces Central and Eastern European firms to adopt Western-sounding names or register abroad to attract investors. Examples such as Gino Rossi, Big Star and Eveline Cosmetics illustrate how companies have hidden their Eastern roots to compete globally.

In the European Parliament, German Socialist MEP René Repasi wants to restrict the regime to young start-ups and safeguard national labour standards, fearing it could become a loophole for rights avoidance. While labour concerns are legitimate, overly complex restrictions could defeat the initiative’s goal of giving CEE innovators the same legal prestige as peers in Paris or Berlin. Advocates argue that a unified European brand is essential for the region’s competitiveness against the United States and China. The article calls on Brussels to push the legislation forward to unlock the continent’s innovation potential.