State of play, main conclusions, outlook

The proposed company law codification brings together six company law directives and all related amendments in a single new directive without introducing any substantive changes.

It includes Directive 82/891/EEC (domestic divisions), Directive 89/666/EEC (requirements for branches opened in other Member States), Directive 2005/56/EC (cross-border mergers), Directive 2009/101/EC (disclosure, validity of obligations, nullity), Directive 2011/35/EU (domestic mergers) and Directive 2012/30/EU (capital maintenance).

The purpose of codifying several company law directives into a single instrument is to increase transparency and readability. The codification simplifies the body of EU law and makes EU Company law more reader-friendly. It makes it easier to have a clear overview of EU law in this policy area.