Platform economy database
Database of initiatives and court cases in the EU
Eurofound’s platform economy database provides information on 412 initiatives and court cases that exist or have been implemented in relation to activities in the platform economy. The database was last updated in May 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 412 entries and was last updated in May 2025.
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Germany
Landmark decision by German Federal Court in favour of employment status of platform workers.
A platform worker sued Roamler, a Dutch-based operator of an internet platform and app, for which he used to work in Munich. Roamler facilitates "micro-jobs," such as checking product displays in shops and petrol stations for brand manufacturers, mystery shopping, etc.
The platform Roamler initially informed the platform worker that they would not be offering him any further contracts and that his account would be deactivated on April 10, 2018. The worker took the claim to court in collaboration with the union of metal workers (IG Metall) arguing that he should not be seen as self-employed since he relied on the platform for gaining his income to a large extent (he had gained 60 percent of his earnings via Roamler).
First Instance: 20 February 2019: Arbeitsgericht München Munich Labour Court's decision Az 19 Ca 6915/18 was to deny the existence of an employment relationship.
Appeal: Landesarbeitsgericht München [Munich Regional Labour Court's decision 8 Sa 146/19 [(https://www.bundesarbeitsgericht.de/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/9-AZR-102-20.pdf). The LAG München upheld the first-instance decision, confirming that no employment relationship existed. It did, however, allow for an appeal (Revision) to the Federal Labour Court due to the fundamental importance of the case.
Revision (Appeal on points of law) 01 Dec 2020: Bundesarbeitsgericht (Federal Labour Court - BAG), 9 AZR 102/20. The Federal Labour Court took a landmark decision. The BAG overturned the LAG München's ruling in part. While it confirmed that the initial framework agreement itself did not establish an employment relationship, the BAG found that the actual execution of the individual tasks (micro-jobs) through the platform, considering how Roamler organised and incentivised the work, did lead to the plaintiff being classified as an employee for the periods he was undertaking those tasks. It argued that the platform made use of elements of gamification, through which it secures the attachment of the workers. This system operates through the perpetual provision of spontaneous offers for micro-jobs. In this way, the workers are highly determined by the platform, since it dictates the location, time and content of their occupations. This court ruling marked the first time a crowdworker was classified as employee by a German court.
Motivation for ruling related to employment classification
Personal dependence due to the platform's control over work specifics.
Lack of significant autonomy in task execution.
Economic dependence and structured incentives.
Continuous and integrated nature of work resembling traditional employment.
Platform's organisation of tasks indicative of an employment relationship.
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.
