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The Collaborative Economy Within the Framework of the European Union’s Digital Single Market

  • Marco Inglese
Chapter
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Abstract

This chapter encapsulates the collaborative economy within the current development of the Digital Single Market (DSM). To do so, the collaborative economy is assessed against the bulk of European Union (EU) law, primarily through the lenses of classical free movement rules. In addition, the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (the Charter) has a salient role to play in what concerns the freedom to choose an occupation and to conduct a business. Once the impact of primary law has been tested, secondary law is used to evaluate whether the collaborative economy fits within a well-designed framework comprising the Services Directive, the Information Society Services Directive, the Database Directive, the Recognition of Qualification Directive and the General Data Protection Regulation. Case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in the Uber saga is further discussed in this specific respect. Chapter  2 hence concludes that, when a collaborative economy transaction is at stake, its legal qualification, as well as the consequences stemming from it, depends on the very nature of the underlying service.

Keywords

Online platforms European Union digital single market Economic freedoms Charter of fundamental rights Harmonization 
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© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019

Authors and Affiliations

  • Marco Inglese
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of Law, Politics and International StudiesUniversity of ParmaParmaItaly

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