This week, the competent Commissioners Jyrki Katainen and Elżbieta Bieńkowska presented the roadmap for the new EU Single Market Strategy. Above all, its purpose is to drive forward economic freedoms, apart from dealing with questions of Sharing Economy, hence services such as Airbnb and Uber...

Participatory Economy or Sharing Economy

On the one hand, the Commission emphasised the advantages of the so-called Sharing Economy, hence services such as Airbnb or Uber, as these enable growth and provide consumers with greater choice and lower prices. However, on the other hand it also pointed to the fact that the rights of workers and consumers had to be protected and that taxes had to be paid. The Commission intends to issue guidelines in 2016 as to how current European law had to be applied in respect of the Sharing Economy and whether there is any requirement for new EU legislation.

Workers

With regard to the protection of workers, reference is made to the already announced Labour Mobility package. This promises an improvement with regard to recognising professional qualifications, a review of the Posted Workers Directive and a better coordination of social security systems.

Consumers

In future, the cross-border consumption of goods and services (in or from another Member State) shall no longer be subject to different prices or sales conditions. The unequal treatment of consumers due to their place of residence or their nationality within the EU shall be abolished.

SME and start-ups

As companies frequently had problems to secure funding, the Commission intends to establish new means of finance, the Investment Plan for Europe and the Capital Markets Union. This would include the simplification of VAT regulations, lowering the costs of registering companies, unified insolvency regulations and the preparation of administrative rules of the Member States on a single website.

Further information:

Press Release of the Commission

Full text of the Single Market Strategy