45 Amendments of Sergio Gaetano COFFERATI related to 2016/2276(INI)
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 19 January 2017 on a European Pillar of Social Rights1a , _________________ 1a Texts adopted, P8_TA (2017) 0010
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas digitalisation and new technologies have changed forms of communication and the behaviour of consumers and companies; whereas a new economic paradigm appears, the digital era or the fourth industrial revolution that is based on the digitisation of all facets of the economy and society;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the emergence of platforms, by fostering the relationship between service providers, workers and consumers, presents opportunities and challenges and results in the shaping of both new and existing markets, which may at times have a disruptive effect on the economic value of such markets;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the evolving use of internet and mobile devices has created new business opportunities and business models, and not only new, but also business models that are alternative to the traditional ones of the companies taking advantage of the new technologies, through internet platforms, Information and Communication Technology applications that allow our communities to rent, to share, to exchange, or to sell access to products or services;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas Europe, compared to the world scale, has made progress in labour and social standards and in social protection systems, and whereas the EU must, in the digital economy, continue to develop the European social model, a fair distribution of wealth, quality employment and sustainable and inclusive growth in long-term employment;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas, by giving intellectual property rights (IPR) infringers easy access to consumers, platforms allow a substantial number of platforms create certain challenges with regard to intellectual property rights protection and may allow infringements to take place, leading to an uneven and unfair sharing of value all along the supply chain;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
B b. whereas it is essential for companies to behave in a socially responsible manner, taking into account sustainability and the interests of society; whereas European labour markets are more often evolving towards 'atypical' or 'non-standard' forms of employment, such as occasional work, work on- demand, dependent self-employment or work intermediated by these digital platforms; and whereas we must ensure that workers who use the platforms have decent working conditions;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas online platforms should offer more opportunities, fair conditions and legal certainty to consumers whose rights must always be protected;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas new content providers are adjusting the supply and demand of goods and services, based on community sentiment, shared access, reputation and trust; whereas online platforms are shaking up highly regulated traditional business models, which has called into question the equal conditions of all market players, their responsibility, the quality of the service they offer and also safety and consumer protection;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas loyaltytrust and transparency should be key guiding principles for platforms in building trust with their consumers and with their business partners;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the Commission communication on platforms and all action taken so far; recognises the importance of establishing a general framework to define platforms which should guarantee a legal certainty for users and workers; stresses the need for a clear distinction between 'commercial' and 'non- commercial' platforms in order to ensure a level playing field as well as a clear distinction between non-professional peer to peer activity where most expenses are shared and goods and service providers acting in their professional capacity or gaining an income through the activity; calls on the Commission to encourage the Member States to develop sector specific definitions and thresholds, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, in this regard; underlines the importance to recognise remunerated services provision in the platform economy as 'work' regardless of the terminology ('gigs', 'tasks', 'giving rides' etc.);
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Supports the need to increase the responsibility of platforms given the high public profile some have achieved and their importance in terms of economic and bargaining power; calls on the Commission to clearly define liability for online platforms;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls for a regulatory framework that would guarantee loyaltytrust and transparency towards business partners, users and workers in relation to, inter alia, access to the service, appropriate and fair referencing, and the functioning of relevant application programming interfaces;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the communication on ‘Online Platforms and the Digital Single Market - Opportunities and Challenges for Europe’; regrets, however, that this communication limits the role of platforms to mere intermediaries between service providers and consumers and renounces to take a more active role in regulating this new economy;
Amendment 66 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Points out the crucial importance of clarifying methods by which decisions based on algorithms are taken and promoting transparency on the use of these algorithms; therefore, asks the Commission and Member States to examine potential for errors and biases in the use of algorithms in order to prevent any kind of discrimination or unfair practice and any harm to privacy;
Amendment 67 #
Draft opinion
Article 4 b (new)
Article 4 b (new)
4b. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to take the necessary measures to ensure the full respect of citizen´s rights to privacy and to protection of their personal data in the digital environment; emphasizes the importance of the correct implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation, ensuring the full application of the principle of "privacy by design and by default"; notes the increasing importance of clarifying the concerns over data access, ownership and liability issues and calls on the Commission to asses further the current regulatory framework with regard to these issues; believes that consumers should be able to freely and fully use and exploit the products and services they buy, including in the free choice of repairers, and should not be obstructed by data issues; considers that the issue of worker-related data and their use raises important concerns and should be swiftly clarified; calls on the Commission to define some minimum requirements on this issue; underlines the need to set up an European Directive on Privacy at the workplace;
Amendment 68 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Underlines the importance to ensure the data portability for all users, in particular for workers of the online platforms, and to guarantee the transferability and accumulation of their ratings and reviews across different online platforms, in respect of EU rules already in place on data protection and the privacy of other parties involved;
Amendment 69 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 d (new)
Paragraph 4 d (new)
4d. While recognising the opportunities offered by platforms, stresses also that it poses certain challenges to job demands, working conditions and workers’ rights, in particular in non-standard employment relationships, and highlights the need to ensure the full respect of employment rights and adequate social security coverage in the digital sphere; considers it necessary to ensure the right to association and collective action and bargaining also for online platforms’ workers; believes it is necessary to involve social partners in the debate on and in the definition of European and national initiatives on online platform;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Acknowledges that online platforms benefit today’s digital economy and society by increasing the choices available to consumers and creating and shaping new markets; points out, however, that online platforms present new policy and regulatory challengesrecognizes that existing legal gaps are facilitating unfair competition of the digital sector vis-a-vis the non-digital sectors, possible online social dumping and unclear fiscal rules; points out that overcoming these new political, social and regulatory challenges is fundamental for the digital economy in order to produce a general benefit to society as a whole;
Amendment 76 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Calls for the same tax rules to be applied for all companies providing comparable services regardless of whether they offer them online or offline; calls for ensuring that all companies including digital ones pay their taxes in the place where they make their profits;
Amendment 77 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Calls on the Commission to monitor and to take actions against the increasing presence of violent and/or discriminatory messages on online platforms; stresses the importance of protecting vulnerable people and children as well as fighting any form of racism, sexism, incitement to terrorism and bullying actions also in the digital sphere; urges platforms’ liability to be strengthened on these issues, including in the framework of the revision of the AVMS directive;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recalls that, although many pieces of EU legislation apply to online platforms, it is frequently the case that they are not enforced properly or have not been adapted to the online world; stresses that the Union should support the development of the digital economy by clarifying the applicable legal provisions and shape its course in a socially just, balanced and sustainable manner;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Calls on the Commission to examine in how far existing Union regulations are applicable to the digital labour market and ensure the adequate implementation and enforcement; calls on the Member States, in collaboration with social partners and other relevant stakeholders, to assess, in a proactive way and based on the logic of anticipation, the need for the modernisation of existing legislation, including social security systems, to stay abreast of the technological development while ensuring the protection of workers;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Stresses the need for a clear distinction between 'commercial' and 'non-commercial' platforms in order to ensure a level playing field as well as a clear distinction between non-professional peer to peer activity where most expenses are shared and goods and service providers acting in their professional capacity or gaining an income through the activity; calls on the Commission to encourage the Member States to develop sector specific definitions and thresholds, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, in this regard; underlines the importance to recognise remunerated services provision in the platform economy as 'work' regardless of the terminology ('gigs', 'tasks', 'giving rides' etc.);
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Calls on the Commission to advance in the establishment of certain common criteria of online platforms for classification purposes on a European Union scale which differentiates at least between those that perform a physical job or a virtual service, between those that perform a simple intermediation and those that participate in a broader way in the market, and also between commercial and non-commercial platforms;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes that online platforms use the internet as a means of interaction and act as facilitators between the demand and supply sides; notes that they also adjust the supply and demand of goods and services based on community sentiment, shared access, reputation and trust, and also incorporate comments or rating options widely;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Underlines that the increasingly widespread use of smartphones and tablets has further extended access to online platforms, thereby enhancing their role in the economy and society, particularly among young peopledespite having to avoid the existence of new gaps that can be produced by unequal access to technology or a high quality of technology, especially between generations and between rural and urban areas;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Notes that some online platforms realise the collaborative economy; welcomes the Commission communication on the collaborative economy, which supports the development of new business models; stresses that these new business models offer new services and greater choice for consumers as well as provide flexibilitythreats, challenges and new opportunities for employees;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Recognizes that there is currently an excessive tendency to use the figure of the economically dependent self-employed worker on these online platforms, and that this may lead to an imbalance in the working time, in occupational health, in the possibilities to take collective action, in social protection, and in other working conditions;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16 b. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to ensure adequate social security for self-employed workers, who are key players in the digital labour market; calls on the Member States and the Commission to adapt existing social protection schemes and to develop new mechanisms of protection, where necessary, to ensure adequate coverage of workers in these platforms as well as non- discrimination and gender equality, and to share best practices at European level;
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. WStresses the importance of protecting vulnerable people and children as well as fighting any form of racism, sexism and bullying actions; urges the platforms to strengthen monitoring measures to tackle offending actions; welcomes the update of the AVMS Directive and the Commission’'s intention to propose measures for video-sharing platforms concerning their liability in terms of the protection of minors and the prevention of hate speech; regrets, however, the absence of references to content relating to the incitement of terrorism and to bullying;
Amendment 255 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22 a. Requires platforms to provide users with tools to denounce fake news circulating online in their platforms as well as illegal or hate speech content in such a way that other users can be informed of the content whose veracity has been contested; also, calls for public rectification to be guaranteed by platforms in the case this possible fake content has been proved to be fake, with the same impact that the previous publication had; asks for efforts by online platforms so that fake news or illegal content is completely eliminated with appropriate systems allowing traceability; calls on the Commission to analyse in depth the current situation and legal framework with regard to fake news and to verify the possibility of a legislative intervention to limit the dissemination and spreading of fake content;
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22 a. Requires platforms to provide users with tools to denounce fake news circulating online in their platforms as well as illegal or hate speech content in such a way that other users can be informed of the content whose veracity has been contested; also, calls for public rectification to be guaranteed by platforms in the case this possible fake content has been proved to be fake, with the same impact that the previous publication had; asks for efforts by online platforms so that fake news or illegal content is completely eliminated with appropriate systems allowing traceability;
Amendment 272 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23 a. Calls on platforms whose business model is influenced by customer reviews to be obliged to establish mechanisms for verifying the accuracy of such reviews;
Amendment 277 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Urges the Commission to ensure a level playing field for online platforms; stresses that regulatory certainty is essential to creating a thriving digital economy; notes that competitive pressures vary between different sectors and therefore ‘one-size-fits-all’ solutions are rarely appropriate; considers that is why any regulation has to take into account the size of the platforms, their nature and classification, to ensure that these platforms compete with the same rules and on an equal footing as other companies in the markets in which they operate;
Amendment 293 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Draws attention to the fact that the size of online platforms varies from global giants to micro-enterprises; stresses the importance of fair and effective competition between online platforms to avoid the creation of monopolies that distort the markets; stresses that facilitating the switching between online platforms or online services is an essential measure in preventing market failures, thereby increasing consumer choice;
Amendment 308 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Underlines the importance of investments in infrastructure; stresses that reliable high-speed networks are the precondition of offering and using online platform services; stresses the need for net neutrality and fair and non-discriminatory access to online platforms; stresses the need for adequate investments and a coherent regulatory framework in research and innovation, infrastructure, cybersecurity, data protection, eGovernment and digital skills, in order to ensure a well-functioning digital single market; stresses that the EU is lagging behind its competitors in this respect and more resources are needed for these investments, as well as full use of the potential and synergies of existing funds and incentivizing private investments; believes that further efforts from the Commission should address those challenges in an efficient manner; urges the Commission to introduce more clarity on the financing of the undertaken and upcoming initiatives facilitating the digitisation process, in particular with regard to the role of the EFSI, ESIF, H2020 and potential synergies between them, as well as on the estimated contribution from the Member States national budgets; calls on the Commission to investigate the impact of PPP and JTI in the context of the forthcoming interim evaluation of Horizon 2020;
Amendment 327 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Stresses the importance of transparency in relation to data collection and considers that online platforms must respond to users’ concerns by informing them more effectively about what personal data is collected and how it is shared and used; calls on the Commission and the Member States to take the necessary measures to ensure the full respect of citizen´s rights to privacy and to protection of their personal data in the digital environment; emphasizes the importance of the correct implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation, ensuring the full application of the principle of "privacy by design and by default"; notes the increasing importance of clarifying the concerns over data access, ownership and liability issues and calls on the Commission to asses further the current regulatory framework with regard to these issues; believes that consumers should be able to freely and fully use and exploit the products and services they buy, including in the free choice of repairers, and should not be obstructed by data issues; calls on the Commission to clarify in the framework of the GDPR implementation and define some minimum requirements with regard to data gathered in a workplace;
Amendment 335 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29 a. Points out the crucial importance of clarifying methods by which decisions based on algorithms are taken; therefore, asks the Commission and the European Supervisory Authorities to examine potential for errors and biases in the use of algorithms thus verifying the potential harm to privacy and preventing any kind of discrimination caused by the use of these data by the online platforms;
Amendment 338 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 b (new)
Paragraph 29 b (new)
29 b. Underlines the importance to ensure the data portability for all users, in particular for workers of the online platforms, and to guarantee the transferability and accumulation of their ratings and reviews across different online platforms, in respect of EU rules already in place on data protection and the privacy of other parties involved;
Amendment 346 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Encourages online platforms to provide clear, comprehensive and user- friendly ways of presenting their terms and conditions in order to enhance consumer protection and bolster trust; recommends to the platforms that along with the terms and conditions a complementary reduced version should be included explaining at least the processing of data and legal and commercial guarantees;
Amendment 378 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Considers that intellectual property is a legal right that must be protected against the challenges posed by the digital economy and stresses that the technical complications involved should not be an excuse to infringe the rights of authors and creators; calls on the Commission to assess the current Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Enforcement Directive6 , in order to ascertain how to contribute more effectively to the fight against counterfeiting by adopting proactive, proportionate and effective measures; _________________ 6in particular, calls for a rapid procedure for the de-indexation of contents that infringe intellectual property and for a traceability mechanism allowing to detect the origin of the illegally uploaded content; _________________ 6 OJ L 195, 2.6.2004, p. 16. OJ L 195, 2.6.2004, p. 16.
Amendment 429 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40 a (new)
Paragraph 40 a (new)
40 a. Takes the view that metadata comparison services are particularly important in order to guarantee the comparability of offers to the consumer and to enable different companies to compete freely; calls, therefore, on the Commission to address possible anti- competitive practices that may be developing on these platforms and which infringe the rights of consumers and businesses;
Amendment 443 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43 a (new)
Paragraph 43 a (new)
43 a. Calls for the same tax rules to be applied for all companies providing comparable services regardless of whether they offer them online or offline; calls for ensuring that all companies including digital ones pay their taxes in the place where they obtain the economic benefit for their activity;
Amendment 459 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45 a (new)
Paragraph 45 a (new)
45 a. Points out that investment in education and innovation are key for the EU to compete successfully on the global markets while maintaining high levels of employment under fair conditions; stresses that social consequences of market opening must not only be addressed but foreseen and absorbed in a way that workers have the skills and tools needed to adapt to new challenges; considers therefore essential to invest in education and life long learning;