The Directive (EU) 2025/25 aims to streamline company formation, registration, and document filing procedures, especially for SMEs, in an increasingly digital environment.

The Directive responds to the European Commission’s digitalisation strategy and addresses the current barriers in accessing and using company information in cross-border contexts. Challenges include the insufficient availability of company data in national business registers and obstacles like document apostille or translation requirements that hinder smooth cross-border interactions.

The Directive mandates that company information be accurate, up-to-date, and reliably accessible in all Member States. The Directive also promotes the ‘once-only’ principle, reducing the need for companies to resubmit documents when setting up subsidiaries or branches in other Member States by facilitating electronic data exchanges via the Business Registers Interconnection System (BRIS).