Platform economy database
Database of initiatives and court cases in the EU
Eurofound’s platform economy database provides information on 393 initiatives and court cases that exist or have been implemented in relation to activities in the platform economy. The database was last updated in August 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 393 entries and was last updated in August 2024.
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France
In November 2019, the Framework Law on Mobility was adopted in France. The new framework aims primarily at new mobility solutions and reducing carbon emissions through mobility. However, it also contains provisions aiming to regulate platform work. The objective is to addresses the shortcomings of social protection and working conditions of platform workers while aiming to preserve the flexibility of drivers’ self-employed status by protecting the platforms against the risk of workers being reclassified as employees. Hence, platforms are allowed to put in place a social responsibility charter, which lays out how the company aims to ensure decent income levels, anticipates occupational risks, ensures social protection and training opportunities for the workers and allows for collective representation. In sum, the charter should define an employer-worker relationship that secures workers’ rights without having to provide employment contracts.
This charter would have to be approved by the labour administration. Decree No. 2020-1284 of 22 October 2020 defines the conditions for this approval. Among others, the application for approval must document the process of consultation with workers. For France’s labour ministry, the optional charter and the certification process remain a first step to define and regulate the labour relations between workers and the platforms.
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.
