Consultation Contribution Eigendom Anders – 28th Regime and Steward-Ownership

Introduction
As a steward for Eigendom Anders, a Dutch initiative that raises awareness about the societal impact of ownership structures, I strongly advocate for embedding steward-ownership (through asset lock mechanisms) into the 28th Regime. This can pave the way towards a healthier, more stable, and more innovative European economy.

The challenge today
Europe currently operates in a hybrid system of market and state: a political compromise between shareholder capitalism and state-driven economies. This compromise produces sluggishness, inefficiency, and a lack of both market dynamism and social protection. Attempts such as “stakeholder capitalism” remain half-measures, as they do not fundamentally reconfigure ownership and governance.

The paradigm shift of steward-ownership
Steward-ownership offers a fundamentally new perspective:

• Companies own themselves: ownership and control remain locked in the enterprise, not with external shareholders or the state.
• Asset locks guarantee that profits serve the company’s mission and continuity, not private enrichment.
• When communities take responsibility for distributing abundance, the paradigm shifts even further towards a sustainable and human-centered economy.

The societal value
By integrating asset locks into the 28th Regime, Europe can claim a pioneering position:

• Stability: companies remain independent from speculative ownership transfers.
• Innovation: long-term orientation allows for deeper and risk-tolerant investments.
• Social return: employees, clients, suppliers, and the environment directly benefit from value creation.

Practical experience
On a personal note: In my professional life I witnessed over a dozen mid-sized businesses being disrupted by ownership transfers, where employees, clients, suppliers, and the environment suffered because owners pursued short-term personal gain.
By contrast, I am now facilitating several companies that are fully asset-locked. These businesses are thriving, resilient, and actively serving their communities and the common good.

Recommendation
I urge the European Commission to explicitly include steward-ownership within the 28th Regime by integrating asset lock mechanisms. This would enable a new, future-proof business model that structurally connects economic prosperity with societal responsibility.

OPEN FEEDBACK PURPOSE ECONOMY

As a non-profit organization dedicated to education and research on steward-ownership, Purpose Stiftung gGmbH has been working for many years to support entrepreneurs, policymakers, and academics in exploring business models that combine innovation with responsibility. With a small team of around ten employees, we operate at the intersection of practice and theory, promoting a governance model that allows companies to remain independent, mission-driven, and resilient over the long term. Our experience with steward-owned companies across Europe has shown that many founders and investors are actively looking for alternatives to the dominant exit-oriented model. Over 30% of European startups are already non-exit-oriented, yet existing national legal frameworks are often insufficient, too complex, or lack legal certainty. This creates barriers for companies of all sizes who wish to adopt steward ownership as a reliable and low-threshold option. For this reason, we strongly support anchoring steward ownership within the proposed 28th Regime. The core elements separating voting rights from economic rights, ensuring non-transferable and non-inheritable voting rights, limiting profit distribution, and introducing an irrevocable asset lock are essential to safeguard the integrity of this model. A credible legal enforcement mechanism, such as supervision by an independent board or association, would provide the necessary trust and reliability for companies, investors, and the wider public. Such a framework would not only create legal certainty but also unlock new financing opportunities. We see significant potential in a standardized European equity-like debt instrument, such as a future profit agreement, which would enable investors to support steward-owned companies in a way that is fair, transparent, and aligned with long-term value creation. From our perspective, steward-ownership is not only a governance model but also part of a broader narrative about Europes economic future. We believe innovation policy should embrace diversity over one-size-fits-all: alongside VC-backed, exit-driven startups, we need to strengthen long-term, values-based entrepreneurship. Europe has the opportunity to define a distinct innovation strategy, one that complements the Silicon Valley model with a framework rooted in resilience, sustainability, and mission orientation. Steward-owned companies show that long-termism enables deep innovation. Without the pressure of exits or short-term returns, they can invest in ambitious, transformative solutions that address societal challenges from healthcare to climate innovation. At the same time, their mission-driven governance allows them to attract top talent through purpose and structure, offering an alternative to pure salary competition and fostering cultures of trust and responsibility. We are convinced that steward-ownership can become a cornerstone of Europes economic strategy, empowering entrepreneurs, strengthening independence, and ensuring that companies can remain both innovative and socially responsible for generations to come. By providing a clear and reliable legal framework at the European level, policymakers can help unleash the full potential of this model for the benefit of society, the economy, and future generations.