Platform economy database
Database of initiatives and court cases in the EU
Eurofound’s platform economy database provides information on 443 initiatives and court cases that exist or have been implemented in relation to activities in the platform economy. The database was last updated in November 2025 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 443 entries and was last updated in November 2025.
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France
On 28 Novermber 2018, the French Cour de Cassation annulled a Paris Court of Appeal judgement according to which a bicycle courier for the food delivery platform 'Take Eat Easy' was not an employee because he had the freedom to choose his working hours.
According to French law, a subordination relationship is characterised by the performance of work under the authority of an employer who has the power to give orders and directives, to control their execution and to sanction the subordinate's failures.
The appeal court had itself pointed out three key elements which, according to the Cour de cassation, legally characterised a subordinate employment relationship: (1) the system of geolocation allowing the real-time monitoring of the position of the rider (2) the control of the total number of kilometres rode by the riders and (3) the sanctions applied to the riders in some particular cases demonstrated that Take Eat Easy had powers of direction and control over its contractors.
The Cour de cassation ruled that the appeal court was wrong to conclude these factors were outweighed by the courier's freedom to choose their shifts. In essence, the existence of a clear system of control and sanction during the work itself was sufficient to legally characterise the relationship as one of employment.
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.
