EU–INC – A new pan-European legal entity • Hacker News Board

Re: EU–INC – A new pan-European legal entity

#21

Post by jcmartinezdev » Wed, Jan 21, 2026, 11:28 AM UTC

kleiba wrote: post #13

embedding-shape wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sounds like a German problem. When I last set up a company in Sweden I literally went to web UI and clicked "Create Company" basically, filled in some details and it was done. Similar experience in Spain, fill out 2-3 forms and it's done. How much more process could the German government really add here? Reviews and interviews, or what exactly is the bureaucracy you're complaining about here?

> How much more process could the German government really add here? Hahaha, good one, little padavan...

Never underestimate the power of german bureaucracy lol

Re: EU–INC – A new pan-European legal entity

#22

Post by pshirshov » Wed, Jan 21, 2026, 11:28 AM UTC

Yes, it's in the works.

Probably in just 3 to 5 years they could open a working group to outline an agenda for a committee which would prepare blueprints of the primary proposals.

Re: EU–INC – A new pan-European legal entity

#23

Post by kristoff_it » Wed, Jan 21, 2026, 11:29 AM UTC

I would love to be able to setup in Europe a non-profit equivalent to the Zig Software Foundation.

I haven't looked too deeply into it, but my understanding is that it's not possible to create an equivalent corporation in Italy (where I reside) nor the rest of Europe.

I would love to be proven wrong though.

Re: EU–INC – A new pan-European legal entity

#24

Post by embedding-shape » Wed, Jan 21, 2026, 11:29 AM UTC

drstewart wrote: post #16

embedding-shape wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Just heard about this initiative as a European, I don't have an opinion yet. Same! I'm cautiously optimistic, but need to await the criticism from the Americans before I can fully know what to think about it. I'm sure it'll pop up here any time soon, NYC is just about to wake up.

Because Europeans never share their criticisms about the US

As a parent you have the obligation to let your child know how well you think they're doing ;)

Re: EU–INC – A new pan-European legal entity

#25

Post by nottorp » Wed, Jan 21, 2026, 11:30 AM UTC

> with a single and simple set of rules that will apply seamlessly all over our Union

For one, I'm worried about what simple means. Likely something that will not make it as cheap to operate in every EU country, but make it as expensive to do that.

Also, whatever the EU commission/council/whatever they call themselves in order to not call themselves government decides has to be translated into local legislation by all member countries. So it will get twisted in 27 different ways, some of them incompatible. Also 9 of the 27 will take years to finish the process.

Re: EU–INC – A new pan-European legal entity

#26

Post by lnsru » Wed, Jan 21, 2026, 11:30 AM UTC

jcmartinezdev wrote: post #2

I really looking forward to this! I love being in the EU and I really like living in Germany. But creating and operating a small company in Germany is a nightmare, I hope this can give smaller EU companies agility and frictionless setup and operation so they can focus on building products and providing services to their customers.

Can you elaborate more? I am self employed electrician in Bavaria using simple Gewerbe. It is straightforward at the beginning. Literally hundreds of webpages describe the procedure. It is obvious, that growing the company into GmbH with own VAT number increases the complexity. But I haven’t seen it other way in Europe.

Re: EU–INC – A new pan-European legal entity

#27

Post by pu_pe » Wed, Jan 21, 2026, 11:30 AM UTC

Excellent idea. The rules should be the same throughout Europe. However, on the official site (https://www.eu-inc.org/) I see the following line:

Local taxes & employment

I guess there is hardly any incentive to open a company in, say, Sweden vs Ireland then?

Re: EU–INC – A new pan-European legal entity

#28

Post by noosphr » Wed, Jan 21, 2026, 11:31 AM UTC

embedding-shape wrote: post #8

jcmartinezdev wrote: post #2

I really looking forward to this! I love being in the EU and I really like living in Germany. But creating and operating a small company in Germany is a nightmare, I hope this can give smaller EU companies agility and frictionless setup and operation so they can focus on building products and providing services to their customers.

Sounds like a German problem. When I last set up a company in Sweden I literally went to web UI and clicked "Create Company" basically, filled in some details and it was done. Similar experience in Spain, fill out 2-3 forms and it's done. How much more process could the German government really add here? Reviews and interviews, or what exactly is the bureaucracy you're complaining about here?

It takes 8 weeks from start to finish to be able to get paid for your first sale as a German limited liability company.

People outside of Germany really have no idea how sclerotic the state is. Mean while Germans suffer from the brain damage of having lived there their whole lives and don't see a problem with this.

If you think brain damage is too strong a word, the last time I brought it up a bunch of Germans came out of the wood work to defend an 8 week process as completely reasonable. Then when told I could do the same thing in Australia in 15 minutes they insinuated I was probably a criminal for wanting less paper work to open a business there.

Re: EU–INC – A new pan-European legal entity

#29

Post by causalscience » Wed, Jan 21, 2026, 11:31 AM UTC

techpression wrote: post #18

cjs_ac wrote: post #3

> The ultimate aim is to create a new truly European company structure. We call it EU Inc., with a single and simple set of rules that will apply seamlessly all over our Union. So that business can operate across Member States much more easily. Our entrepreneurs, the innovative companies, will be able to register a company in any Member State within 48 hours – fully online. They will enjoy the same capital regime all…

As a Swede the third one is terrifying, unifying the energy market has been catastrophic for us, both price and environment wise. The latest is added taxes due to choke points designed by EU from the first place..

Wanna tell us more? Why has unifying the energy market been catastrophic for Sweden?

Re: EU–INC – A new pan-European legal entity

#30

Post by mono442 » Wed, Jan 21, 2026, 11:31 AM UTC

cjs_ac wrote: post #3

> The ultimate aim is to create a new truly European company structure. We call it EU Inc., with a single and simple set of rules that will apply seamlessly all over our Union. So that business can operate across Member States much more easily. Our entrepreneurs, the innovative companies, will be able to register a company in any Member State within 48 hours – fully online. They will enjoy the same capital regime all…

Energy is expensive because burning fossil fuels is expensive due to taxes. A coal power plant pays around two times more for emissions than for the coal itself. They're trying to solve a problem which they have created themselves in the first place.