The European Foundation: A New Legal Approach

The European Commission is already preparing the future framework of not-for-profit organizations which will be available to Europeans. The aim of the European Foundation Project is to develop the legislative draft for the legal form of a European Foundation. A team of experts in comparative law from across Europe, commissioned by the Bertelsmann Foundation, the Compagnia di San Paolo, and the ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin and Gerd Bucerius, has undertaken feasibility research, and developed a proposal. The resulting draft legislation is clearly presented here in a way which makes it easy for the reader to locate information on specific legal issues. The draft is supported by comprehensive explanatory chapters, as well as comparative chapters on each issue which cover European countries, the USA and China. This book lays the groundwork for policy and advocacy initiatives in the European foundation and the not-for-profit sector.