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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Portugal
Several digital platform companies operating in Portugal, Bolt, Glovo and Uber, announced the creation of Association of Digital Applications (APAD), an association whose objective is to represent the interests of economic operators in the sector. According to its founding statement, the primary objective of the association is: ‘aggregating and representing the main operators in the digital platform sector to develop activity in Portugal in the defence of their common interests’. The association also states that it seeks to act as a platform for dialogue whenever legislative changes are being discussed. ADAP aims to be involved in legislation regulating the employment relationship and working conditions of platform workers currently being discussed at European and national levels. . The association underlines the need to use social dialogue as a means to overcome challenges raised by the platform economy. The creation of APAD emerged as an answer to the ‘digital economy representation gap’ and in order to ensure that ’the sector may be able to operate in Portugal without restrictions that limit its reach’. The association wants to contribute to innovation and competitiveness in the Portuguese digital economy in a structured way as a partner in social dialogue.
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.
