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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Germany
In a ruling announced on 11 December 2015, the Court of Appeal ruled that the UBER Black business model violated competition law. A Berlin taxi operator had initially tried in vain to achieve through an express procedure that UBER B.V. is prohibited to use the smartphone application UBER APP to mediate transport assignments for drivers and entrepreneurs of rental cars. However, this failed because of the lack of urgency (see press release 43/2014). In the main proceedings which are now available, the plaintiff prevailed in the district court of Berlin in the first instance (see press release No. 8/2015). The defendant’s appeal against the ruling of the district court remained largely unsuccessful. In the opinion of the fifth Civil Senate of the Court of Appeal, the business model UBER Black was anti-competitive, unless the rides are offered at cost price. (German: Das Kammergericht hat in einem am 11. Dezember 2015 verkündeten Urteil entschieden, dass das Geschäftsmodell UBER Black gegen das Wettbewerbsrecht verstoße. Ein Berliner Taxiunternehmer hatte zunächst vergeblich in einem Eilverfahren versucht, UBER B.V. den Einsatz der Smartphoneapplikation UBER APP für Mietwagenfahrer und Mietwagenunternehmer zwecks Vermittlung von Fahraufträgen zu untersagen, scheiterte jedoch an dem fehlenden Eilbedürfnis (s. Pressemitteilung 43/2014). In dem nunmehr vorliegenden Hauptverfahren obsiegte der Kläger zunächst vor dem Landgericht Berlin erstinstanzlich in vollem Umfang (s. Pressemitteilung Nr. 8/2015). Die gegen das Urteil des Landgerichts eingelegte Berufung der Beklagten blieb überwiegend erfolglos. Nach Auffassung des 5. Zivilsenats des Kammergerichts sei das Geschäftsmodell UBER Black wettbewerbswidrig, soweit die Fahrten nicht zum Selbstkostenpreis angeboten würden.)
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.
