Some remarks on the shape of the planned company law directive on cross-border transfer of the registered office

Abstract

While the conviction of the need for a fourteenth company law directive is almost universal, the discussion is going on around the question whether this directive should enable cross-border transfer by way of a transfer of the registered office without the need of the actual transfer of its premises. Such scenario is being challenged because of two reasons: (i) a directive adopted
based on Article 50 clause 2 letter g of the TEU is to serve making the freedom of establishment a reality, but pursuant to the EC J’s construction of Article 49 of the TEU, a mere transformation, without the actual, real element, does not amount to taking advantage of this freedom, and (ii) the subsidiarity principle provided for in the treaty (Article 5 clause 3 of the TEU) excludes the possibility of the EU law intervention in a conflict laws of Member states.

The fourteenth directive enabling a cross-border transfer without the actual transfer of the registered office, provided the law of the host state permitted, would be a manifestation of a reasonable compromise underlying the directive on cross-border mergers of companies that has been achieved in the course of the EC J’s judgments delivered in matters concerning a cross-border transfer of a registered office.