Public limited liability companies: mergers and divisions

By adopting a legislative report by Piia-Noora KAUPPI (EPP-ED, FIN), the European Parliament approved a directive concerning mergers of public limited liability companies and Council Directive 82/891/EEC concerning the division of public limited companies as regards the requirement for an independent expert's report on the occasion of a merger or a division.

The House supports the Commission in its aim of easing domestic mergers or divisions. The amendments concern the issue of shareholder protection. MEPs also propose to set the transposition date to 31 December 2008 (as opposed to 31 July 2008 as was proposed by the Commission).