European Corporate Governance Forum

Overview

In its 2003 Action Plan on modernising company law and enhancing corporate governance in the European Union the Commission considered as a priority to encourage the co-ordination and convergence of national codes through regular high level meetings of the European Corporate Governance Forum. The Commission specified that the Forum, to be chaired by the Commission, could meet two or three times a year and that it would comprise representatives from Member States, European regulators (including CESR), issuers and investors, other market participants and academics.

The European Corporate Governance Forum was first set up at the end of 2004 and held its first meeting in January 2005. In 2008, the mandate of the Forum was renewed and its composition slightly changed. Part of the work programme will be an evaluation of the effectiveness of monitoring and enforcement systems that the Member States have put in place with a view to the national corporate governance codes. In November 2009, DG Internal Market published an external study that should provide a basis for the Forum’s work on this subject. Since its setting up, the Forum has issued a number of statements and recommendations to the Commission. Furthermore, it publishes annually a report on its activities. Also the minutes of its meetings are made available on this website.

News

11.11.2011	Publication of the Annual Report 2011
09.08.2011	The mandate of the Forum expired in July 2011. The Commission will consider how best to involve experts in future developments in EU corporate governance, in the light of responses to the April 2011 Green Paper.
01.08.2011	Minutes of the Forum meeting of 9 June 2011
12.05.2011	Publication of the Annual Report 2010
18.04.2011	The Forum publishes a statement on significant transactions for listed companies
10.03.2011	The Forum publishes a statement on related party transactions
08.03.2011	Next meeting of the Forum on 9 June 2011 and minutes of the Forum meeting on 11 February 2011
05.01.2010	Next meeting of the Forum on 11 February 2011 and minutes of the Forum meeting of 26 November 2010
08.11.2010	Minutes of the Forum meeting of 20 September 2010
26.08.2010	Minutes of the Forum meeting of 2 June 2010
10.05.2010	Minutes of the Forum meeting of 19 February 2010
	Publication of the Annual Report 2009
20.02.2010	The Forum publishes statement on empty voting and transparency of shareholder positions
14.01.2010	Minutes of the Forum meeting of 4 November 2009
18.11.2009	Publication of the study on “comply-or-explain”

Presentation of the Forum

Statements and recommendations

Annual reports

Article 7 of the Commission decision of 15 October 2004 setting up the Forum provides for the production of an annual report. The annual reports are made public and are transmitted to the European Parliament for information.

• Annual Report 2010
• Annual Report 2009
• Annual Report 2008
• Annual Report 2007
• Annual Report 2006
• Annual Report 2005

Minutes of the meetings