All books in this flagship series contain carefully selected substantial extracts from key cases, legislation, and academic debate, providing students with a stand-alone resource. The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) has two separate chapters on self-employed persons who move on a permanent or temporary basis between Member States: the chapters on freedom of establishment and freedom to provide services. The central principles governing freedom of establishment and the free movement of services are laid down in the TFEU and have been developed through case law. Important developments have also been brought about through secondary legislation in sectors such as insurance, broadcasting, financial services, electronic commerce, telecommunications, and other ‘services of general economic interest’. This chapter focuses on the broad constitutional principles applicable to every sector. The UK version contains a further section analysing issues concerning freedom of establishment and the provision of services between the EU and the UK post-Brexit.
Chapter
23. Freedom of Establishment and to Provide Services
Chapter
23. Freedom of Establishment and to Provide Services
All books in this flagship series contain carefully selected substantial extracts from key cases, legislation, and academic debate, providing students with a stand-alone resource. The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) has two separate chapters on self-employed persons who move on a permanent or temporary basis between Member States: the chapters on freedom of establishment and freedom to provide services. The central principles governing freedom of establishment and the free movement of services are laid down in the TFEU and have been developed through case law. Important developments have also been brought about through secondary legislation in sectors such as insurance, broadcasting, financial services, electronic commerce, telecommunications, and other ‘services of general economic interest’. This chapter focuses on the broad constitutional principles applicable to every sector. The UK version contains a further section analysing issues concerning freedom of establishment and the provision of services between the EU and the UK post-Brexit.
Chapter
23. Freedom of Establishment and to Provide Services
All books in this flagship series contain carefully selected substantial extracts from key cases, legislation, and academic debate, providing students with a stand-alone resource. The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) has two separate chapters on self-employed persons who move on a permanent or temporary basis between Member States: the chapters on freedom of establishment and freedom to provide services. The central principles governing freedom of establishment and the free movement of services are laid down in the TFEU and have been developed through case law. Important developments have also been brought about through secondary legislation in sectors such as insurance, broadcasting, financial services, electronic commerce, telecommunications, and other ‘services of general economic interest’. This chapter focuses on the broad constitutional principles applicable to every sector. The UK version contains a further section analysing issues concerning freedom of establishment and the provision of services between the EU and the UK post-Brexit.
Chapter
23. Freedom of Establishment and to Provide Services
All books in this flagship series contain carefully selected substantial extracts from key cases, legislation, and academic debate, providing students with a stand-alone resource. The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) has two separate chapters on self-employed persons who move on a permanent or temporary basis between Member States: the chapters on freedom of establishment and freedom to provide services. The central principles governing freedom of establishment and the free movement of services are laid down in the TFEU and have been developed through case law. Important developments have also been brought about through secondary legislation in sectors such as insurance, broadcasting, financial services, electronic commerce, telecommunications, and other ‘services of general economic interest’. This chapter focuses on the broad constitutional principles applicable to every sector. The UK version contains a further section analysing issues concerning freedom of establishment and the provision of services between the EU and the UK post-Brexit.
Chapter
Transparency
This chapter discusses the obligations imposed on companies and their officers to provide information about the company, other than accounts. Information about a company’s constitution, membership, officers and finances must be provided to Companies House, which makes the information available for inspection by anyone at its website. Much of that information must also be made available for inspection at the company’s registered office or an alternative inspection place. Some other information, including directors’ service contracts, must be kept available for inspection by the company’s members at its registered office or inspection place. Any company must identify itself by its registered name at its registered office, inspection place, and places of business. Further identifying information, including its registered number, must be given on business letters, order forms and websites. The chapter discusses the general rules on disclosure and how they are enforced.
Chapter
18. Public offers of shares
This chapter studies the sources of securities regulation, the rules relating to offering shares to the public, the various UK stock exchanges, and the process by which securities are listed. There are several types of public offer, including offers for subscription, offers for sale, placings, and rights issues. The London Stock Exchange is the principal UK stock exchange, and its two principal markets are the Main Market and the Alternative Investment Market. The principal domestic rules relating to public offers of shares are found in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, the Listing Rules, the Prospectus Rules, and the Disclosure and Transparency Rules. Companies that offer securities to the public or seek to admit securities to a UK regulated market must first publish a prospectus. Meanwhile, listed companies must comply with a range of continuing obligations for as long as their securities remain listed.
Chapter
14. Freedom of establishment and free movement of services
This chapter discusses the rights of the self-employed and companies to conduct their business in another Member State insofar as they are subject to specific separate rules. Self-employed people are, of course, also EU citizens, and so it is in general worth bearing in mind that the provisions of the Citizenship Directive and the Treaty's non-discrimination provision discussed in the previous chapter are equally applicable to them. Freedom of movement for self-employed people and companies has always been possible under the Treaties based on the two fundamental freedoms of ‘establishment’ and ‘movement of services’. The chapter then looks at the exceptions to freedom of establishment and free movement of services. It also addresses the impact of Brexit on these two fundamental freedoms.
Chapter
2. Incorporation
This chapter discusses the process of incorporation and the advantages and disadvantages of conducting business through a company. The three principal methods by which a company can be incorporated are: incorporation by Act of Parliament, incorporation by Royal Charter, and incorporation by registration. The advantages of incorporation include perpetual succession, asset ownership, and the ability to commence legal proceedings. The disadvantages of incorporation include increased formality, regulation, publicity, and civil liability.
Chapter
25. Capacity and parties
This chapter examines the issues of capacity and parties in tort law. It explains that capacity refers to the status of legal persons and their ability to sue or be sued in tort and that a claimant’s injury might be caused by more than one person. Examples are given of the capacity to sue and be sued of companies and children. This chapter discusses also the point that any person successfully sued in tort can seek contribution from other joint or concurrent tortfeasors and this can be done in the course of the original action commenced by the claimant, or in separate proceedings between tortfeasors.
Chapter
C. Marketable loans
This chapter deals with arrangements by which a company borrows a large sum of money long term. The money is put up by a number of investors who are entitled to receive interest payments (usually twice a year) and, at the end of the term of the loan, repayment of principal. Sale of all or part of an investor’s entitlements is possible and arrangements are usually made for trading on a stock exchange. Marketable loans were once issued to the general public in the same way as shares, but nowadays they are usually held in large quantities by financial institutions and specialist investors. They are described as ‘wholesale’ rather than ‘retail’ investments. Interests in marketable loans are called ‘debt securities’, ‘bonds’ or ‘debentures’.
Chapter
5. Members
This chapter focuses on one of the vital roles played by members of a company, namely their ability to make decisions. A significant amount of power is placed in the hands of members, and numerous key decisions are reserved for them alone. This chapter looks at the rules by which general meetings are run and discusses the effectiveness of the general meeting.
Chapter
1. Introduction
This introductory chapter provides an overview of the aims of company law and governance. Company law should hold companies and directors to account, be flexible enough to respond to novel and evolving practices, provide certainty, promote transparency, help to avoid misalignment of interests, promote corporate efficiency, and help avoid corporate disaster. The chapter then looks at other key important business structures. Other than companies, the principal business structures are the sole proprietorship, the partnership, and the limited liability partnership. A sole proprietorship is a sole individual carrying on some form of business activity on their own account. Meanwhile, two or more persons who wish to engage in business together can form an ordinary partnership. Finally, limited liability partnerships were created to provide suitable business structures for large, professional firms. In many respects, limited liability partnerships resemble companies.
Chapter
Accounts and reports
This chapter discusses the obligations imposed on directors of companies to maintain proper accounting records, prepare annual financial statements and reports on the company’s business and disclose this information to members and the public. Requirements for companies to report their financial position to their members and to the public vary according to whether the company is a micro-entity, or is small, medium-sized or large. A company is subject to additional requirements if it is a quoted company. The definitions of these categories are set out and the rules applying to each category are summarised. The chapter discusses the form and contents of annual accounts and the contents of the strategic report and directors’ report.
Chapter
3. Registration
This chapter discusses the process of registration for the incorporation of companies under the Companies Act 2006. It considers the distinction between private and public companies, the meaning of limited liability and the significant characteristics of the company created by the registration procedure at Companies House, such as a company’s separate corporate personality (which is highly artificial), its members, shareholding, directors, secretary, name, constitution and its registered office and domicile. To deter misuse of companies, the registration process involves disclosing much information about a company which is then available for public inspection. This process of public disclosure continues throughout a company’s existence.
Chapter
16. Duties Relating to Corporation Finance and Capital
This chapter discusses the details of the various obligations on companies that wish to issue and allot shares, provide debentures and charges over the company’s assets, and provide guidance on the maintenance of the company’s finances. It continues from the discussion of the administration of the company to consider the broad issue of corporate governance and identifies how a company may raise capital, while also considering the obligations placed on the directors to protect and maintain the capital of the company for its members. To appreciate the effects of the Companies Act (CA) 2006 on companies, it is important to understand the rules regarding the issuing of shares and granting of debentures to protect the company and the creditors from abuse, and how dividends are to be agreed upon and provided to shareholders.
Chapter
15. Free Movement of Persons
Workers and Beyond
This chapter evaluates the sources of movement rights for persons, as well as the horizontal connections between them. It analyses the special free movement rights for economically active persons; that is, workers and self-employed professionals. Importantly, the freedom of establishment here also covers companies. The chapter then specifically looks at the free movement rights of companies (and their subsidiaries). It also introduces the horizontal provisions on EU citizenship and their relationship to the special movement rights for workers and the self-employed. Finally, the chapter considers the horizontal rules that govern the various justifications for national restrictions on the free movement of persons. In addition to the ordinary public policy justifications, the main derogation here is a public service exception that allows Member States to restrict access to professions that are linked to the exercise of public authority.