Groups of Companies in the EEC.

Comprising the proceedings and working documents of an annual seminar held in Milan in November 2007, this book analyses the tax issues for groups of companies operating in a European or worldwide dimension. The book examines the issues raised by both tax treaty and European law by focusing on selected topics. It first provides an analysis of the group concept under company and commercial law followed by an overview of taxation of groups in common and civil law countries. The tax regime of groups of companies under European law is further considered, both for income tax and VAT. The issues raised by application of tax treaties to groups of companies is then considered, with a particular emphasis on treaty recognition of groups, application of tax treaties to companies included in national group consolidation regimes, and application of the treaty articles on business income and non-discrimination. Individual country surveys provide an in-depth analysis of the above issues from a national viewpoint in selected European and North American jurisdictions.

This book presents a comprehensive study on how twenty-three countries have approached the issue of company groups. In addition to detailed profiles of each country’s legislation, written by some of the most respected experts in the field, the book also presents a general overview and offers readers an in-depth, up-to-date and highly practical comparative analysis of the company group phenomenon in connection with national legal regimes. As such, the book is a must-read for all those seeking a deeper understanding of how company groups are viewed and regulated around the globe.

This is a unique collection of papers which brings together those who work in and with EU business associations at the very highest level with many of the leading academic authors on associations over the past two decades. It examines the factors that influence the effectiveness of EU business associations, and the prospects for associations and their members to influence these. It is designed to appeal both to analysts of debates about interest groups, collective action and European integration, and to those who work in and with EU business associations.

This fully updated new edition provides an overview of the law regarding companies, business organizations, and capital markets in Europe, at both the European Union (EU) and Member State levels. It introduces the reader to the EU harmonization programme and describes how this has influenced corporate law in the various EU Member States. The authors describe common denominators as well as differences in the approach of national corporate laws. The authors highlight current and emerging trends in these areas of corporate law, including: the freedom of establishment of companies within the EU; the European harmonization process and Member States’ implementation of EU legislation; employee involvement in business organizations; the division of power between the different corporate bodies; the functioning and regulation of company groups; and cross-border business combinations, takeovers and restructuring tools. The laws of France, Germany and the Netherlands in particular are discussed and contrasted. This discussion also includes the United Kingdom, although no longer an EU Member State. As in earlier editions, the authors demonstrate that analysis and comparison of national corporate laws yield highly valuable general principles and observations, not least because business organizations, wherever located, tend to show a fundamentally similar set of legal characteristics. The Fourth Edition will continue to be of great value to practitioners and academics who wish to acquire a better understanding of European corporate law, in its supranational dimension as well as in the similarities and differences among the various national legal systems. It can also be used as a handbook for comparative corporate law courses.

Full Title: Liability of Corporate Groups: Autonomy and control in Parent-Subsidiary Relationships in US, German and EU Law, An International and Comparative Perspective. Corporation law dates from the 19th century when the growth of business enterprise required a division between the private and the company sphere, making the company a legal person with its own rights, responsibilities and liabilities. The company was no longer the legal equivalent of its owner but became a separate legal entity, providing a form of legal protection for the owners, employees and the customers. The introduction of company law meant a great step forward for those engaged in big business in Europe, the U.S. and elsewhere.

This book explores the legal issues concerning groups of companies including regulation at national, international and global level. It offers a comparative discussion of the way in which these issues have been approached in the UK, in the EU and the eastern European states, and in the US.

The new third edition provides readers with the fundamental theories and concepts for understanding how business is done in Europe, linking it to the current European business environment through a range of up-to-date case studies and examples. Revised and updated to include recent changes in the economic and political climate of Europe, and thematic perspectives on key contemporary European challenges, the authors also bring into consideration non-EU Business in the EU as well as the way Brexit is likely to affect businesses. Also new to this edition: Examples and cases from a wider range of European member states, including Tesla, Airbnb, Ryanair, Belgian AB InBev’s acquisition of British SABMiller, and the expansion of Alibaba Group in Europe. Enhanced material on business in EFTA and CEFTA areas. Analysis of the effects digitalisation, business analytics and Artificial Intelligence have on business in Europe. Coverage of the challenges and opportunities stemming from migration and the refugee crisis. A specific focus on the gig and shared economy. An investigation into how sustainability and climate change agreements impact on business. The book is supported by online resources for lecturers and students, including an instructor’s manual, PowerPoint Slides, multiple choice questions, class-based role play instruction guides, chapter summaries, and links to relevant videos and podcasts. Suitable reading for students on European business modules at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.

After many years of negotiations among Member States, a uniform set of private international law rules has been established to determine the conduct of cross-border insolvency proceedings within the European Community. This is the European Insolvency Regulation of May 2000. Although each state still retains its own insolvency law, the regulation greatly reduces the risk of opportunistic behaviour by providing certainty as to which European courts have jurisdiction to open insolvency proceedings and which state?s laws apply, in addition to ensuring the cross-border effectiveness within the EU of the decisions handed down by those courts. This in-depth commentary offers practitioners in international business transactions and litigation a definitive guide to the workings of the Insolvency Regulation. The authors?one of whom co-wrote the official explanatory report on the 1995 Convention on Insolvency Proceedings, a report that still plays a fundamental hermeneutic role?leave no stone unturned in their probing analysis, which explains in detail such elements as the following: relationship with other community legal instruments and international conventions; territorial scope; substantive scope; third-party rights in rem and reservation of title; set-off; contracts relating to immovable property; employment contracts and relationships; payment systems and financial markets; community patents and trademarks; publication and registration; lodgement of claims; and special considerations affecting credit institutions and insurance undertakings. Company lawyers handling insolvency cases and issues will find nothing comparable to this expert work. Its direct practical usefulness is immediately apparent. In addition, however, it stands out as a preeminent work on a critical and hard-won legal instrument (and by extension on the entire field of European insolvency law) and as such is an essential resource for jurists and legal academics.

For many observers, the European Union is mired in a deep crisis. Between sluggish growth; political turmoil following a decade of austerity politics; Brexit; and the rise of Asian influence, the EU is seen as a declining power on the world stage. Columbia Law professor Anu Bradford argues the opposite in her important new book The Brussels Effect: the EU remains an influential superpower that shapes the world in its image. By promulgating regulations that shape the international business environment, elevating standards worldwide, and leading to a notable Europeanization of many important aspects of global commerce, the EU has managed to shape policy in areas such as data privacy, consumer health and safety, environmental protection, antitrust, and online hate speech. And in contrast to how superpowers wield their global influence, the Brussels Effect - a phrase first coined by Bradford in 2012- absolves the EU from playing a direct role in imposing standards, as market forces alone are often sufficient as multinational companies voluntarily extend the EU rule to govern their global operations. The Brussels Effect shows how the EU has acquired such power, why multinational companies use EU standards as global standards, and why the EU's role as the world's regulator is likely to outlive its gradual economic decline, extending the EU's influence long into the future.