The regulation of collaborative economy in the european union

Abstract

The paper distinguishes between sharing economy and collaborative economy, focusing on the legal framework of collaborative platforms (such as Uber or Airbnb) according to EU law. Case-law from the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) and the position of the European Commission are analyzed in this regard. It is concluded that there is no harmonization, within the European Union, of the legal regime applicable to certain collaborative platforms. As such, specific regulation of collaborative platforms has followed different paths within the Member States.

The Rise of Collaborative Consumption in EU Member States: Exploring the Impact of Collaborative Economy Platforms on Consumer Behavior and Sustainable Consumption

“…Thus, it is concluded that there is a need in the European Union to harmonize the legal regime applicable to the business models of collaborative platforms. This conclusion aligns with Rodrigues's earlier findings [41]. Similarly, and generally, this study's findings are consistent with those of Echikson [6] and Tatarinov et al [42].…”