Key Points
- The EU plans to create a single set of rules for startups across the bloc.
- The goal is to make it easier for companies to grow and operate across all 27 member states.
- The new “28th regime” will replace the current patchwork of different national laws. The move is also designed to help startups retain top talent.
- It’s part of a broader EU strategy to strengthen its tech ecosystem and compete globally.
The European Union is planning to create a single, unified set of rules for startups, a move designed to make it much easier for innovative companies to grow and operate across the entire bloc. The announcement was made on Friday by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Speaking at Italian Tech Week, von der Leyen said the Commission will propose new legislation next year to create a “28th regime” for startups. This new, single system will replace the current patchwork of 27 different national legal systems that startups have to navigate if they want to expand beyond their home country.
“Too often, it is easier to expand to another continent than across Europe,” von der Leyen said, highlighting the bureaucratic hurdles that currently stifle growth. “I want the same to be true for you as it is for a San Francisco startup scaling across the U.S.”
The new rules are also designed to make it easier for European startups to retain top talent. The initiative is part of a wider push to strengthen Europe’s tech ecosystem, which also includes a new multi-billion euro “Scaleup Europe Fund” and an “AI first” strategy to boost the adoption of artificial intelligence.
The goal is to create a more unified and competitive single market that can rival the tech hubs of the United States and Asia.
