Although the European Unique Identifier (EUID) has been in place for several years, it was only with the entry into force of the DORA Regulation that many companies became interested in the issue.
The DORA Regulation
In January 2025, Regulation (EU) 2022/2554 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2022 on digital operational resilience for the financial sector and amending Regulations (EC) No 1060/2009, (EU) No 648/2012, (EU) No 600/2014, (EU) No 909/2014 and (EU) 2016/1011 (DORA Regulation) entered into force. Broadly speaking, the purpose of this act is to reduce the vulnerability of the financial sector to cyber threats.
Who is affected by DORA in practice?
DORA imposes a number of new security obligations on financial entities and third-party information and communication technology (ICT) service providers . Financial entities include banks, insurance companies, investment firms, investment service providers, among others. Companies providing such entities with e.g. IT services are likely to be an ‘external ICT service provider’ within the meaning of the Regulation.
And this is where EUID appears.
Financial entities will be required to document external ICT service providers. Accordingly, they will require from them, among other things, an LEI or EUID number.
The EUID (European Unique Identifier) can be called the identifier of companies operating within the EU, fulfilling a similar function to the KRS number of Polish companies. Most companies entered in the business registers of individual European countries (in Poland it is so-called KRS) have a European EUID number within the BRIS (Business Registers Interconnection System). BRIS is, in simple terms, a supra-state European register of entrepreneurs.
How to find a company’s EUID?
The European equivalent of the Polish KRS works similarly to the state one. In order to find the EUID number, you need to visit the BRIS register available at the link https://e-justice.europa.eu/topics/registers-business-insolvency-land/business-registers-search-company-eu_en and enter the company details and the country of registered office. Then, the company’s EUID is avaiable.
The BRIS system, which has been in operation for several years, does not seem to be popular with entrepreneurs. Many have only recently discovered both the system and EUID designations. It turns out that they can be very useful – especially for companies operating across borders on European markets.
Central Register of Beneficial Owners (CRBO) is an electronic register made in order to gather data concerning natural persons who are ultimate beneficial owners of a company or a partnership. Its main purpose is to deter money loundering and financing terrorism. In order to gain access to the register or to apply for the register, you have to visit the website: https://crbr.podatki.gov.pl/adcrbr/#/.
The European Parliament has passed legislation in 2022 to change the structure on the boards of the largest companies in member states. They mainly concern the standardization of recruitment for top management positions in companies. The aim of such a measure is to ensure a balance in the representation of men and women in management positions in listed companies.
