A component of the EAN.UCC Company Prefix. GS1 Member Organisations assign EAN.UCC Company Prefixes to entities that administer the allocation of EAN.UCC System identification numbers. These entities may be, for example, commercial companies, not for profit organisations, governmental agencies, and business units within organisations. Criteria to qualify for the assignment of an EAN.UCC Company Prefix are set by the GS1 Member Organisations.
When an individual Limited Company is formed it is given a Company Number, individual to itself, which it keeps even if it changes its name, until dissolved. This number is also referred to as the Registration Number.