43 Amendments of Maria GRAPINI related to 2017/2003(INI)
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the emergence of the collaborative economy in transport, accommodation and tourism services, acknowledging that, with an appropriate regulatory framework in place, it has potential to provide more varied and affordable services to customers and to boost new forms of cooperative exchanges between citizens in the EU;, to offer new business opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises and to boost new forms of cooperative exchanges between citizens in the EU; underlines the positive impact of collaborative platforms on the inclusion of women, youth, and on marginalised communities such as migrants, part-time employees as well as on the long-term unemployed to re-enter the job market.
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Notes that the collaborative economy can help to develop new opportunities and business models in the fields of transport and tourism;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that the Member States’ response to the development of collaborative business models has so far been very fragmented and has, on some occassions, allowed for protectionist measures at local level; welcomes in this regard the Commission communication on a European agenda for the collaborative economy, but regrets that it fails to establish an explicit harmonisedclear steps towards a legal framework for the collaborative economy across the European Union;
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that, in the context of the collaborative economy, issues related to consumer protection, liability allocation, insurance schemes, social protection of workers (whether they are employed or self-employed) and data protection are the most urgent ones, aund expects a regulatory intervention erlines the potential risks of creating unclear employment relations, unfair working conditions and non-compliance with worker's rights; as such, considers necessary the cooperation among all stakeholders, assuming that regardeir individual responsibilities, in parallel with regulatory intervention; emphasises that a regulatory framework should create a level playing field, foster innovations and contribute to the overall development and fulfilment of the EU transport and tourism policy goals, such as transport decarbonisation, territorial cohesion, affordability, accessibility and safety; simultaneously, it argues that the Commission should ensure an ambitious enforcement framework and engage platforms to foster a culture of compliance as regards health, safety, security and taxation, while ensuring that any proposal put forward would mitigate the risk of creating monopolies.
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Agrees that the collaborative economy could also generate new entrepreneurial opportunities, jobs and growth, and could play an important role in making the economic system not only more efficient, but also socially and environmentally sustainable, thus enhancing economic growth, social welfare and environmental protection, and contribute to the transition towards a circular economy;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Acknowledges, at the same time, that the collaborative economy is having a profound impact on long-established business models in many strategic sectors such as transportation, accommodation, restaurant industry, services, retail and finance; underlines the risk of having different legal standards for similar economic actors; is concerned about the risk of reducing consumer protection, workers’ rights and tax compliance; acknowledges the effects that collaborative businesses are having on the urban environment;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Acknowledges, at the same time, that the collaborative economy iscould havinge a profound impact on long-established business models; underlines the risk of having different legal standards for similar economic actors; is concerned about the risk of reducing consumer protection, workers’ rights and tax compliance; acknowledges the effects that collaborative businesses are having on the urban environment;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Considers the development of a dynamic and clear legal environment to be of paramount importance for thea sustainable and efficient collaborative economy to flourish in the EU;
Amendment 90 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Recalls that the collaborative economy has opened new opportunities for growth in the tourism sector, increasing and diversifying both demand and offer, but expresses concern as regards the impact on communities' way of life, public safety and the environment.
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Emphasises the need to consider the collaborative economy not only as a business model but also as a new form of integrarconnection between the economy and society which is able to embed economic relations within social ones and to create new forms of community;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Draws attention to the fact that the collaborative economy in Europe has a number of specific traits, as it is generally more rooted at local level, reflecting the European business structure, which consists mainly of SMEs; these features offer new opportunities for the collaborative economy in Europe but, at the same time, create a number of challenges for collaborative platforms in order to be highly competitive on the global market;
Amendment 99 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Urges the need to clearly distinguish between legitimate ride-sharing and the provision of regulated commercial transporting services (i.e. ‘non- professional’ vs ‘professional’ service provision) in EU terminology, and urges the Commission to come up with proposals to adapt Union legislation accordingly; considers the monetary threshold to be onand ride-sharing, which could be defined as the shared use of a vehicle by a private individual, with one or more passengers , in order to share costs in the context of an existing trip the driver had already planned, and urges the Commission to come up with proposals to adapt Union legislation accordingly; considers that thresholds which are representatives of Member States' different economic realities and purchasing power could be one of the advisable ways to make this distinction;, and recommends the Commission to launch a study on the role of thresholds in the collaborative economy.
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Underlines the importance of tackling challenges that arise when European customers are using online platforms headquartered outside the EU, in non-European cultural and regulatory contexts, with particular regard to data protection, liability of the platforms, taxation and employment law;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Underlines the importance of preventing any form of discrimination, so as to grant effective and equal access to collaborative services, especially for disadvantaged people and communities and for people with disabilities;
Amendment 117 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Member States to establish measures to reduce the risk and possibility of the occurrence of grey economy activities and tax avoidance in accordance with collaborative economy services, and invites the Commission to facilitate an exchange of best practises between tax authorities and stakeholders with a view to developing appropriate solutions for payments of taxes in the sharing economy;, in line with the principle that taxes should be paid where profits are generated; recommends that Member States, under the guidance of the European Commission, clarify what they consider taxable profit and what they view as tax-exempt cost-sharing activities.
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Stresses the importance of ultra high-speed fixed and wireless networks as a precondition to develop the full potential of the collaborative economy and to reap the benefits offered by the collaborative model; recalls, thus, the necessity to ensure an adequate network access for all citizens in the EU, especially in those areas where sufficient connectivity is not yet available;
Amendment 134 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Warns of the danger that, without an appropriate legal framework, intermediation platforms might serve as a suitable seedbed for new monopolies, and therefore asks the Commission to monitor the development of the market and, where needed, to propose measures to protect the competitiveness of European companies, particularly SMEs, in a European market;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Welcomes the Commission’s intent to tackle the current fragmentation, but regrets that its communication did not bring sufficient clarity about the applicability of existing EU legislation to different collaborative economy models and proposes improving communication in the internal market;
Amendment 148 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the Commission to include representatives of the collaborative economy in stakeholder dialogues and impact assessment procedures in order to protect industrial competition for the benefit of both users and service providers in the fields of transport and tourism.
Amendment 152 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the Commission to include representatives of the collaborative economy and beneficiaries in stakeholder dialogues and impact assessment procedures.
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Emphasises that, in many cases, due to persisting asymmetric information or lack of choice, rules for protecting consumers are still needed in the collaborative economy, especially due to persisting asymmetricregarding the information and transparency duties of the parties involved; highlights that transparency is essential inf ormation or lack of choiceder to protect consumers and develop trust in the collaborative economy;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Underlines the importance to guarantee adequate information to consumers about the applicable legal regime of each transaction, the criteria used to determine the professional or non- professional nature of the transaction and consequent rights and legal obligations;
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Calls on the Commission to clarify the collaborative platforms liability regime, - which could enhance responsible behaviour and increase user confidence - assess their duties according to already existing regulations and consider whether ad hoc legislation is needed in this regard;
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Calls on the Commission to clarify the collaborative platforms liability regime, which could enhance responsible behaviour and increase user confidence; considers that an annual report from the Commission is needed in this connection;
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21 a. Welcomes the trust-building mechanisms some collaborative platforms have put in place, including setting an effective and reliable review and reputation system, introducing of guarantees or insurance, identity verification of peers and prosumers - such as pre-screening mechanisms - and developing secure and more transparent payment systems; encourages collaborative platforms to learn from the best practices and to inform and raise awareness about their user´s legal obligations;
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21 b. Welcomes all initiatives aimed at enhancing trust and transparency of rating mechanisms and setting-up reliable reputation criteria in collaborative economy business models; considers two- way rating mechanisms and voluntary adoption of certification schemes as good examples to avoid abuses, manipulations and fake feedback;
Amendment 293 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Emphasises that the digital revolution is having a profound impact on the labour market and that emerging trends in the collaborative economy are part of a broader tendency within the overall digitalisation of the society; underlines the risks of unclear employment relations, unfair working conditions and non compliance with worker's rights;
Amendment 298 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)
Paragraph 31 a (new)
31 a. At the same time, notes that the collaborative economy is opening new opportunities and new, flexible routes into work for all users - including prosumers - thriving innovation and entrepreneurship in Europe;
Amendment 305 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Underlines the paramount importance of safeguarding workers’ rights in collaborative services, - first and foremost the worker`s right to organise, take collective action and negotiate collective agreements - of avoiding social dumping, and of guaranteeing fair working conditions and adequate social protection;
Amendment 317 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)
Paragraph 33 a (new)
33 a. Stresses that there is a strong need to fully clarify the working relationship between workers and collaborative platforms; calls on the Commission and the Member States to guarantee a level playing field between digital and traditional economies also from the labour market and workers' right perspective, avoiding thus the risk of applying different rules to comparable situations and unfair competition;
Amendment 323 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 b (new)
Paragraph 33 b (new)
33 b. Recalls that all workers in the collaborative economy are either employed (employees) or self-employed and that all work in the collaborative economy should be classified accordingly, avoiding the creation of new hybrid categories for workers in the collaborative economy; regardless of the status classification, calls the Commission and Member States to assess the possibility to extend traditional protections of employment law and social security protections established at national level to workers in the collaborative economy;
Amendment 325 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 c (new)
Paragraph 33 c (new)
33 c. Due to the rising number of self- employed workers in the collaborative economy, urges the Commission to re- examine the existing EU competition laws, which are now hampering the right to organise for those workers treated as independent contractors, in order to guarantee the fundamental right to organise, undertake collective actions and negotiate collectively, including with regard to their compensation;
Amendment 327 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 d (new)
Paragraph 33 d (new)
33 d. Underlines the importance to ensure the portability of ratings and reviews for collaborative platforms workers and to guarantee the transferability and accumulation of ratings and reviews across different platforms while respecting rules on data protection and the privacy of other parties involved;
Amendment 328 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 e (new)
Paragraph 33 e (new)
33 e. Stresses the importance of up to date skills in the changing employment world to ensure that all workers could have adequate skills, as required in the digital economy; encourages the Commission, Member States and collaborative economy businesses to enable life-long learning training and skills development;
Amendment 329 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 f (new)
Paragraph 33 f (new)
33 f. Draws attention to the lack of data relating to changes in the employment world brought by the collaborative economy and underlines the importance of closely monitoring working conditions in the collaborative economy in order to combat illegalities; furthermore, encourages each Member States to appoint a national competent entity as responsible for controlling and evaluating emerging trends in the collaborative economy's labour market, taking necessary actions in case of illegalities, and informing other relevant authorities; asks Member States to periodically provide to the European Commission with data and information about jobs and working conditions in the collaborative economy;
Amendment 333 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)
Paragraph 34 a (new)
34 a. Is convinced that one of the most interesting examples is the civic crowd- funding that combines public-private partnership with innovative forms of participatory democracy;
Amendment 343 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Notes that first movers have been cities, where urban conditions such as population density and physical proximity favour the adoption of collaborative practices, shifting the focus from smart cities to sharing cities, based on collaboration and common pooling practices; is also convinced that the collaborative economy can be a solution to tackle specific problems and offer significant opportunities to inner peripheries and rural areas, tooand can convey new forms of development through local production processes which are globally connected in the framework of an inclusive innovation; believes that this can generate new forms of competition between territories based on the availability of local collective competition goods (such as infrastructures, educational structures, business services);
Amendment 348 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Notes that first movers have been cities, where urban conditions such as population density and physical proximity favour the adoption of collaborative practices; is also convinced that the collaborative economy can offer significant opportunities to inner peripheries and rural areas, too, as well as poorer areas;
Amendment 349 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 a (new)
Paragraph 36 a (new)
36 a. Supports the establishment of a "Forum", involving the CoR and all the relevant EU institutions, cities and other local institutions, organisations, networks active in the local, regional, rural and inner peripheric dimension of the collaborative economy to share experiences and exchange good practices, strengthen the local dimension of the collaborative economy and liaise with the relevant thematic partnerships of the Urban Agenda for the EU ;
Amendment 362 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 a (new)
Paragraph 39 a (new)
39 a. Encourages the Commission to support initiatives and actions to favour more research and fact-finding on the development and the impact of the collaborative economy in Europe; in particular, welcomes the recently adopted pilot project on the collaborative economy, aimed at helping European SMEs and social enterprises with high- growth potential to use and benefit from all the possibilities and potential provided by the collaborative economy business model;
Amendment 364 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 b (new)
Paragraph 39 b (new)
39 b. Calls the Commission to facilitate and promote the access to appropriate funding lines for European entrepreneurs who operate in the collaborative economy sector, also in the framework of the EU Research and Innovation programme - Horizon 2020;
Amendment 365 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 c (new)
Paragraph 39 c (new)
39 c. Notes the rapid development and the crescent diffusion of innovative technologies and digital tools, such as the Blockchains and DLTs, also in the financial sector; underlines that the use of these decentralised technologies might enable effective peer-to-peer transactions and connections in the collaborative economy, leading to the creation of independent markets or networks and replacing, in the future, the role of intermediaries played today by the collaborative platforms;
Amendment 366 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 d (new)
Paragraph 39 d (new)
39 d. At the same time, asks the Commission to monitor the effects and the impact of the development and diffusion of these digital technologies in the collaborative economy business model; welcomes the Commission's initiative to ensure the adequacy of consumer law within this activities and draws the attention to ensure adequate consumer protection even with regard to peers to peers Blockchains and DLTs transactions;