Platform economy database
Database of initiatives and court cases in the EU
Eurofound’s platform economy database provides information on 411 initiatives and court cases that exist or have been implemented in relation to activities in the platform economy. The database was last updated in March 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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United Kingdom
In the UK, Uber has partnered with the online investment provider Moneyfarm to provide discounts for Uber drivers on financial products such as pensions, individual savings allowances (ISA) and a new pension product SIPP (self-invested pension plan).
Key aspects of the initiative include:
Access to Pension Products: Uber drivers will be able to access a new pension product, the Self-Invested Pension Plan (SIPP), which will be launched in the coming months. This will enable drivers to plan ahead for their retirement.
Discounted Financial Products: Moneyfarm will offer Uber drivers discounted products, including ISAs and pensions, to help them save and invest for the future.
Improved Access to Financial Education: The partnership aims to provide Uber drivers with expert financial advice, helping them make informed decisions about their financial planning and retirement savings.
This initiative reflects a growing recognition of the need to address the financial security and retirement planning challenges faced by platform workers, who often lack the benefits and protections afforded to traditional employees.
See further information here.
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.
