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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Spain
As part of a royal decree law on June 28, 2023, the Spanish Government further modified the Land Transport Regulation (LOTT) to adjust criteria in the framework of rules which authorises use of VTCs in the country. The specificity's of regulating VTC is left to the 17 autonomous regions, but LOTT sets the national framework upon which decisions are made. The new criteria for autonomous regions' authorities aim to restrict the number of VTCs in operation, taking into account environmental needs, effective management of public space and declaring Taxi as a 'service of public interest'.
Under the new criteria, VTCs 'will be subject to compliance with criteria for improving air quality, reducing emissions and managing traffic and the public space', this will include:
Importantly, the new amendments define Taxis as a 'service of public interest'. This is a paradigm shift for the industry as it introduces new operational rules, fundamentally changes the conditions of the market and opens new avenues for fiscal support. This delineates Taxis from VTCs, becoming a function of Spain's transport system, requiring Taxis to have a guaranteed quality, accessibility and universality. Access to public finance for the public transport needs of citizens is also included in this new status.
Unauto-VTC and Feneval, two of the main employer associations for the VTC intermediary companies that operate between the platforms and the drivers, said they would ask the European Commission to start a procedure against the Spanish Government in response to the law, describing the law as “discriminatory and disproportionate”.
The Spanish Supreme Court is yet to make a judgement on the consequences of the CJEU ruling. However, if they rule in a manner which is in favour of the new decree law, it will be difficult for new political coalitions in the government to impose changes.
Background
The law comes after the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled on 8 June, 2023, that the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona’s 2018 regulation, which restricts VTC licenses to one in 30 taxis, was not compliant with EU laws on fair competition. President of the employers' association UNAUTO-VTC, José Manuel Berzal - as well as Uber, Cabify and Bolt - viewed the ruling as a 'turning point' for ridehail platforms and drivers. However, as part of the CJEU ruling, the Court stated 'the objectives of sound management of transport, traffic and public space, on the one hand, and environmental protection on the other', while also respecting the principle of 'proportionality' would be appropriate for such regulation.
Elité Taxi Barcelona, the trade union leading the regulation which was overruled by the CJEU and consulted closely with government on the new regulatory framework, has launched a public information campaign shortly before the Spanish Government's announcement. The campaign aims to convert VTC drivers to the taxi industry, promoting the higher wages and fewer working hours.
In Barcelona, Spain, professional association Elite Taxi has launched a public marketing campaign to convert platform ride hailing drivers (VTC) to become taxi drivers. The information campaign targets those working …
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.
