European guidelines for sharing economy

New players on the market, such as AirBnb and Uber are facing many challenges. Court cases entailing high fines or even a ban on trade altogether have unfortunately become a reality. The European Commission seeks to stimulate member states to treat those companies with more leeway, given that they contribute to the creation of growth and jobs. This has led to its introduction of a number of guidelines for the development of a sharing economy.

Member of European Parliament Anneleen Van Bossuyt is pleased that the European Commission understands the issue. “After all, the sharing economy offers a lot of potential,” she explains. “The consumer has a broader selection and often also enjoys lower prices, while the service provider has the opportunity to earn some extra money.”

Smart, future-oriented approach

The Commission recommends that member states advise citizens clearly about their rights and obligations, among other things. In addition, participants of the sharing economy must not be subjected to excessive regulations and procedures. However, Anneleen Van Bossuyt is also of the opinion that we must not forget the traditional sectors that often feel disadvantaged and fear unfair competition. “Let’s re-examine current rules, respecting all players in the market. It’s somewhat nonsensical to subject someone who occasionally rents out a room to the same rules as a hotel. Not that this means that new players should remain unregulated. We must aim for clear regulations, based on self-regulation and Raising accountability Making federated entities accountable so that they are rewarded for good policy and penalised for bad policy. This was one of the N-VA’s demands during the governmental negotiations of 2010-2011 regarding the amendment of the Financing Law. Among other things, the N-VA wants significant fiscal autonomy for the federated entities and individual responsibility, specifically with regard to labour market policy, healthcare and child allowance. raising accountability , without unnecessary thresholds and limits,” Anneleen Van Bossuyt concludes.