Commission proposes a European Foundation Statute

Brussels, 8 February 2012 – Foundations pursue objectives benefiting the public at large. Their activities focus on areas that are important for European citizens and the European economy. For instance, they are active in social and health services; they foster research and promote culture. To this end, foundations award grants and run projects. However, differences between and obstacles in national laws often make the conduct of their cross-border activities costly and cumbersome. When they decide to operate abroad, for example, foundations often have to spend a part of their resources on legal advice and fulfilling legal and administrative requirements laid down by the different national laws across the EU. This diminishes the amount of funding available to foundations for the purpose of activities benefiting the public at large and can deter them from further developing their work.

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