Ways of establishing a European Economic Interest Grouping (EEIG)

European Economic Interest Grouping must comprise of at least:

• two (2) companies or other legal persons of public or private law, of a for-profit nature, incorporated and maintaining their registered office or seat within the European Union and their central management in different member-states;
• two (2) natural persons carrying out industrial, commercial, craft, agricultural or freelancing activities or providing other services in different member-states;
• one (1) company or other legal person of public or private law, of for-profit nature, incorporated and maintaining its registered office or seat and central management within the European Union and one (1) natural person carrying out industrial, commercial, craft, or freelancing activities or providing other services in a different member-state.

Its activities must be connected to the economic activities of its members and only be ancillary to them. Therefore, the Grouping is not allowed to:

• manage or control the activities of its members or of other business, particularly in relation to personnel, financing and investment issues;
• hold shares of any kind in a member-company;
• hold shares of any kind in other businesses outside the framework for achieving an object of the grouping and on account of anyone other than its members;
• employ more than five hundred (500) persons;
• be used by a company for the granting of loans to a managing officer of a company or to any other person associated with such officer;
• be used for transferring assets between a company and the managing officer, or any person associated with such officer;
• be a member of another EEIG.

For more information regarding the relevant procedure, refer to the page Incorporating a European Economic Interest Grouping.