The European Company (SE) Database – The online SE inventory of the ETUI

As of 1 March 2012, a total of 1,113 registered SEs were listed in the ETUI’s European Company (SE) Database (ECDB), 120 more than at the time of the previous update (1 December 2011). The main trends remained the same. Only four (4) recently established companies have been identified as being ‘normal’ (in the sense of having both employees and business activities. Seventy-six (76) of the new establishments were categorised in the ECDB as ‘UFO’s. The Czech Republic continues to ‘mass produce’ SEs: sixty-one (61) of the 76 new ‘UFO’ companies are from this country underlining again the problem of available information on employee figures after their setting-up as shelf SEs.

By 1 December, the number of SEs in the European Company (SE) Database (ECDB) had reached almost 1,000: currently, the ECDB lists exactly 993 companies. Since the last News (1 September 2011), 85 new SEs have been registered. 25 European countries now host European Companies.

As far as the establishment of SE is concerned the summer proved to be a very dynamic period. As of September 2011, a total of 909 registered SE companies were listed in the ETUI’s European Company Database (ECDB), 92 more than at the time of the previous update (June 2011). The significant growth in the number of SE registrations is still largely due to the establishment of shelf companies in the Czech Republic. New shelf producers keep appearing on the market, and the signs are that the SE is becoming an everyday alternative to national company forms. The total number of SE companies in the Czech Republic is 509 (66 more than three months ago). This makes up more than half the total number of SEs in Europe. Summarising the September 2011 figures:

As of June 2011, a total of 817 registered SE companies were listed in the European Company Database (ECDB), 66 more than at the time of the previous update (March 2011). Meanwhile, one company in the UK has been removed from the national register and two German SEs (one of them was ‘normal’) were transformed. In addition to the already registered companies, the ECDB currently provides information on 14 planned SEs.

As of March 2011, a total of 751 registered SE companies are listed in the ECDB (SE factsheets): 58 new SEs have been added to the database since the previous newsletter (January 2011). Meanwhile, five SEs (two empty and three UFO companies) were deleted from national registers and two (normal) SEs were transformed. In addition to the already registered companies, the ECDB currently provides information on 17 planned SEs.

The year 2010 ended with a total of 700 registered SE companies. 42 SEs have been added to the database since the previous update (November, 2010). The ECDB (SE Factsheets) also provides information on 15 planned SEs. However, the number of UFO companies increased the most, due to activation of shelf companies in the Czech Republic and Germany. Only three new companies were added to the ‘normal’ category. The number of ‘normal’ companies is currently 169.

After a relatively quiet summer period, there has been movement again in the ‘SE market’ in the past two months. In total, 36 SEs have been added to the database since the previous update (1 September 2010). At the time of writing, the ECDB (SE Factsheets) provides information on 658 established and 18 planned SEs.

In total, 58 SEs have been added to the database in the three months since the previous update. At the time of writing, the ECDB (SE Factsheets) provides information on 601 established and 19 planned SEs. (At least) 151 companies or so are considered ‘normal SEs’.