This paper aims to give an analysis of corporate groups, with an emphasis on current ‘trends’ and ‘realities’. Despite the huge effort made by the doctrine and case law, traditional company law no longer covers today's challenges in the field of corporate integration. In fact, the implementation of special statutory and procedural laws on corporate groups is still inadequate in most European countries.

This relevant model of corporate integration and control requires a properly designed ‘philosophy’, which is being provided successfully by some relevant and welcome initiatives, such as the Winter Report, the Forum Europaeum and the trends that have recently emerged in some European countries.