From mobility services to recycling applications, the sharing economy holds many promises. Whether to regulate it at European level remains a disputed question, however.
The European Union told Airbnb yesterday (16 July) to bring its terms and conditions into line with the bloc's consumer rules or face action by national consumer agencies, after a review of the short-term rental platform found some violations.
France is entitled to bring criminal proceedings against local managers of ride-hailing app Uber for running an illegal taxi service, the EU top court ruled on Tuesday, dealing the Silicon Valley start-up another legal setback.
After half a year of intense debate and bickering between member states, the European Commission proposed on Wednesday (21 March) a new system for taxing digital companies that will charge large firms 3% of their revenue and will hit US tech giants like Google and Facebook.
EU judges ruled on Wednesday that Uber is a transport service, rather than a digital app, and therefore requires national authorities’ authorisation to operate in Europe.
Estonia is hosting a summit focused on technology issues this Friday (29 September) but will have to battle for EU leaders’ attention less than one week after the German election, a fresh round of Brexit talks and French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposals on the future of Europe.
European cities are stepping up their efforts on shared mobility to reduce traffic jams and pollution while generating the most profitable business in this field on the planet.
There needs to be an EU-wide solution to precarious app economy jobs, said Estonian Labour and Health Minister Jevgeni Ossinovski in an interview with EURACTIV.com.
EU member states can ban ride-hailing pioneer Uber without informing the European Commission because at heart it is an ordinary transport company under their jurisdiction, a top EU lawyer said Tuesday.
It is not easy to be an Uber driver in the Czech Republic. The capital, Prague, has fined them and the second city Brno is now an Uber-free zone. Although public opinion is broadly positive, the EU courts are probably Uber’s last hope.
The European Parliament is expected to adopt a draft report on Thursday (15 June) calling on EU and national authorities to ensure “fair working conditions and adequate legal and social protection for all workers” in the collaborative economy.
A key decision awaits the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). Will the Court’s judges side with the opponents of sharing services such as Uber, or will they instead support their further development? EURACTIV Czech Republic’s partner Aktuálně reports.
An opinion issued today (11 May) by the EU Court of Justice's advocate general said that Uber cannot benefit from lax rules under the service directive, seen by the European Commission as the legal basis for the collaborative economy.
The upcoming rotating presidency of the EU will focus on the future of work and the role technology can play in transforming social systems in the context of the new industrial revolution.
MEPs and stakeholders yesterday (26 April) launched an organisation aiming to protect the rights of taxi drivers and improve competition against “social platforms” like US ride-hailing service Uber.
The European Commission will change an EU law on employment contracts by the end of the year in a move to create standards for precarious jobs created by online apps like Uber and Deliveroo.
US ride-hailing app Uber told Europe's top court on Monday (24 April) that it was a digital service, not a transport service, and that a French law clearly targeted online taxi services, in its latest European legal battle with the taxi industry.
A majority of EU governments are expected tomorrow (29 November) to back – at least partly – the ride-hailing firm’s claim of being a digital platform, opening the way for a lighter regulatory oversight of the American-based company than if it was considered like a normal transport firm.
A Berlin court is due to make a landmark ruling with ramifications for home rental firms such as Airbnb on Wednesday (8 June) when it decides if homeowners can engage in short-term lets.
The success of sharing economy firms offers new opportunities to insurers who see Uber drivers and Airbnb flat owners as a potential source of revenue. But setting up a safe environment for digital platforms, contractors, and users remains a challenge.
Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund has announced investment totalling €3.5 billion in Uber, as the kingdom seeks to diversify away from petrodollars. EURACTIV’s partner La Tribune reports.
Services such as ride-hailing app Uber and home-rental site Airbnb should only be banned as a last resort, the European Commission said on Thursday (2 June), as it seeks to foster development of the "sharing economy".
