Platform economy database
Database of initiatives and court cases in the EU
Eurofound’s platform economy database provides information on 281 initiatives and court cases that exist or have been implemented in relation to activities in the platform economy. The database was last updated in December 2022 and provides metadata for each entry, such as geographical scope, year, type of initiative, actors involved, sector and companies concerned. Initiatives include legal instruments such as legislative changes or court decisions, as well as voluntary interventions undertaken by different stakeholders to address issues around platform work.
Search
The database currently contains 281 entries and was last updated in December 2022.
Tag
Active
Spain
The Spanish Association of the Digital Economy (Adigital) is the business association that promotes the digitalisation of the Spanish economy.
Adigital promotes the development of the digital economy through representing and defending the interests of associates, distributing, researching and creating synergies, as well as by strenghtening trust in the digital environment. The association's main aim is to contribute to Spain's digital economic and social development by facilitating the digital transformation of businesses. Recognising the importance of digitalisation for economic growth, job creation and for building more cohesive and sustainable societies, Adigital supports collaboration in key sectors through associations and business collectives that work collaboratively and with greater autonomy within the framework of the association.
In October 2020, Adigital presented an analysis of the economic impact of a potential employment of the self-employed delivery riders who collaborate with digital platforms in Spain. The study suggests that 23,000 riders could lose their source of income due to the disappearance of the service and Spanish restaurants would lose more than €250 million in revenue. The results of this report highlight the need to find a solution that allows combining the flexibility offered by platforms with greater protection for the self-employed who operate through them.
The association also drafted a 'manifest for intelligent, innovative and quality work. In this document, Adigital summarises its views about the employment forms it manages. It also expresses Adigital's desire to collaborate with the government in dealing with the problems generated by the platform economy.
Further reading: * Delivery platforms that operate under the freelance model ask for a regulation that combines flexibility and greater protection (Las plataformas de delivery que operan bajo el modelo de autónomos piden una regulación que combine flexibilidad y mayor protección) * Analysis of the economic impact of the employment of delivery drivers by Adigital (Análisis del impacto económico de la laboralización de repartidores)
The platform economy is one of those moving targets, which, despite receiving increasing media and policy attention, has proven difficult to regulate. Given the heterogeneity of employment relationships, business models, types of platform work and cross-border issues, this is not surprising.
Technological change is accelerating as the capacity of electronic devices to digitally store, process and communicate information expands. Digitalisation is transforming the EU economy and labour markets: nearly one-third of EU workplaces are categorised as highly digitalised. What are the implications of the digital revolution for employment and work?
The rapid rise of the platform economy has led to a marked transformation of European labour markets, and existing regulatory frameworks and voluntary initiatives have yet to catch up. While platform work offers opportunities for workers and employers and potentially contributes to innovation, economic growth and competitiveness in the EU, it has been criticised from the beginning because of the poor employment and working conditions often experienced by workers.
While 2020 may come to be seen as the year platform work gathered pace and started to go mainstream – thanks in large part to COVID-19 containment measures sparking an increase in food and grocery delivery – 2021 could be the year that regulation of platform work is set in motion.
