This Chapter in a comparative book on private limited liability companies starts with an illustration of the former success of the Dutch limited liability company (BV). Next it addresses the competitive European legal environment within which the Dutch BV has to operate. The study shows how the...

This paper studies the voting turnout, the voting behavior of large and small shareholders and the resolutions voted at annual general meetings (AGMs) and extra-ordinary general meetings (EGMs) of Belgian listed companies in 2011. The average voting turnout was 49,9 per cent in 2011, down from...

Using a sample of voting turnouts of annual general meetings of European companies, we document that shareholder voting turnouts are significantly different according to the ownership structure of the company. Different types of shareholder classes show different voting engagements according to...

The European Shareholder Rights Directive provides shareholders the right to ask questions related to the items on the agenda. The company can refuse to answer the questions in a limited number of cases. After a brief historical and European view, the second part of the paper assesses the...

Shareholder activism is at the heart of the corporate governance debate. This study investigates shareholder activism through the voting turnout as well as the voting behavior of large and small shareholders and the resolutions voted at annual general meetings (AGMs) of Belgian listed...

The board of directors is responsible for an appropriate business risk management environment. The paper studies in a comparative way how legislators and courts fill this duty. We question whether the legislative and regulatory framework will improve the equilibrium between entrepreneurship and...

The composition of the board of directors is considered key for the success of the company. The current approach to compose this board is to provide shareholders and investors with individual information of the skills and experience of (candidate) directors. The information is insufficient to...

This paper provides a brief overview of the European capital requirements and the modernising changes contained in Directive 2006/68/EC. Next the Belgian transposition is discussed. The new rules on contributions in kind, share buy backs and financial assistance to acquire the company's shares...

Belgium significantly reformed its company law. The number of company forms has been reduced and the new Companies Code introduced a limitation on the directors' liability. Belgium also shifted from the real seat to the statutory seat. The legislator promotes the private limited liability...

We study institutional investors' voice in the Netherlands, focusing on shareholder voting in particular. The Dutch Stewardship Code, developed by institutional investor platform Eumedion, came into force in January 2019, emphasises engagement and responsibilities of institutional investors in...