Annica Sandberg is employed at the Division for Real Estate and Company Law, at the Ministry of Justice. Annica Sandberg is support person for the chairman of the working party on company law, Rolf Skog, in work on the new company form, the European private company.

What does European private company mean?
"A new European company form. It means that the same company form will be found in all EU Member States and that the same rules shall apply as far as possible, no matter which Member State the company is located in".

What is in progress at the moment in this work?
"Negotiations in the Council are currently under way".

What will the European private company mean in concrete terms for companies and entrepreneurship?
"The idea is that it should be easier for companies to establish themselves in other Member States if there is the same company form in all countries. It also means there will be a further company form to choose from for companies, in Sweden too. Companies that will use the new company form may, for example, be small companies or companies that want to establish subsidiaries in other EU countries".

What is the greatest challenge of the work?
"Most Member States want the new rules to be similar to the rules that already exist for national company forms. Since these rules differ among Member States it is difficult to find solutions that all Member States can accept".

What does it mean to be a Chairman’s support person?
"I help to formulate compromise proposals that are the basis for negotiations with the other countries. I also take part in meetings in the working party when all the countries meet. Furthermore, I have taken part in individual bilateral meetings which we have had with almost every country where we discussed specific issues important to that particular country".

Who takes part in the meetings which you have in the working party?
"National experts on company law from, for example, the Ministries of Justice or the Ministries of Industry, Employment and Communications in the various countries. Usually, 1-3 people from each country take part".