Does the European Company have a future?

It has taken more than 30 years, but the EU has at last agreed on a legal format for the European Company, a vehicle it hopes will support the EU project by freeing corporates from national differences in legislation and boosting European economic activity. Jean-Louis Joris of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton in Brussels explains what the European Company really is, how to set one up and asks whether, ultimately, it will be a success