This Policy Brief offers a comprehensive evaluation and comparison of the regulatory frameworks governing platform work in four European countries. The comparative analysis draws upon research conducted by the OECD and the World Economic Forum (WEF) on the principles of good regulation. Adapting...

Digital platforms have become an important part of the digital economy by facilitatingtransactions between large numbers of users and by fostering innovation on collaborativeplatforms. It is striking that platform-based services are dominated by a small number ofglobal players. Most of them are...

Small trade- and investment-oriented economies like the United Kingdom (UK) should carefully consider whether to regulate online platform services based on presumptions rather than evidence that consumers are being harmed. Flimsily enforced platform regulation can have a chilling effect on...

Immer mehr Unternehmen entschließen sich dazu, ihr Geschäftsmodell digital auszuweiten. Dieser Trend ist auch im Bereich der personennahen Dienstleistungen spürbar. Um Zugriff auf die digitalen Serviceangebote zu erhalten, müssen potentielle Nutzer persönliche Daten preisgeben. In vielen...

This Working Paper brings together two parallel but complementary approaches to the impact of the platform economy on working conditions and social law. The first part of the study shows that the business models of some platforms is a combination of technological disruption and social evasion....

The 'gig economy' refers to a market system in which companies or individual requesters hire workers to perform short assignments. These transactions are mediated through online labour platforms, either outsourcing work to a geographically dispersed crowd or allocating work to individuals in a...

The economic and social crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic in Europe and around the world is without precedent since World War II if not before. With more than 40 million known cases in Europe in one year, and over 900 000 deaths (March 2020 to March 2021), governments have stepped up their...

This working paper is intended to shed light on a pressing issue: the apparent growth-dependency of European welfare states at a time of weak growth prospects and strong criticisms of growth. Indeed, while the notion of going beyond GDP growth is gaining momentum in the European Union, as...

Digital platforms and data-driven business models have become integral to today's internet economy. Large technology companies like Apple, Google, Amazon and Microsoft exert control over access to online content, products, services and social interactions through their digital ecosystems and...

Digitale Plattformen und datengesteuerte Geschäftsmodelle sind zu einem festen Bestandteil der heutigen Internetwirtschaft geworden. Große Technologieunternehmen wie Apple, Google, Amazon und Microsoft üben durch ihre digitalen Ökosysteme und die damit verbundene GatekeepingMacht die...