Platform economy database
Database of initiatives and court cases in the EU
Eurofound’s platform economy database provides information on 386 initiatives and court cases that exist or have been implemented in relation to activities in the platform economy. The database was last updated in February 2024 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.
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The database currently contains 386 entries and was last updated in February 2024.
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Czechia
In December 2018, the National Council of Slovakia adopted an amendment of Act no. 56/2012 Coll. on road transport. The Amendment seeks to contribute to more adequate conditions and overall simplification of the requirements for running a business and operating a taxi service. It is aimed at preventing potential illegal practices and seeks to regulate ride-hailing companies operating as part of the sharing economy. Thus, one of the most important innovations introduced by the amendment is the regulation of the provision of passenger transport via digital platforms.
Changes are mainly made to the rules for obtaining a taxi license. To obtain this license, a taxi sign and a garage for the vehicle are no longer required. On the contrary, other obligations (such as place of residence of the business) are added as prerequisites for the granting of the taxi service operator’s license. With respect to technologies, the amendment provides the drivers with a possibility to send the passenger a confirmation of paid fares via electronic devices.
The Ministry of Transport set up a working group which aims to include the views of ride-hailing companies and taxi drivers. However, taxi drivers claimed that their views were only marginally considered during the consultation process. Therefore, the Association of Czech Taxi Drivers organised a range of protests against the government’s approach to regulate alternative ride-hailing service platforms (Uber and Taxify). The taxi drivers insist that the only option for ride-hailing services should be to operate with an official taxi sign and a taximeter.
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.
