Today, the Commission launches the second-stage consultation of European social partners on how to improve the working conditions for people working through digital labour platforms.

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This follows the first-stage consultation, which was open from 24 February to 7 April 2021, to which the Commission received replies from 14 EU-wide social partners. Based on the replies received, the Commission concluded that there is a need for further EU action to ensure basic labour standards and rights to people working through platforms.

Digital labour platforms play a key role in the digital transition of the European economy and are a growing phenomenon. The size of the digital labour platform economy in the EU has grown almost fivefold from an estimated €3 billion in 2016 to about €14 billion in 2020.

Digital labour platforms bring innovation, create jobs and enhance the EU’s competitiveness. They provide additional income to people, including to those whose access to the labour markets may be more difficult.

Yet, platform work may also result in precarious working conditions and inadequate access to social protection for many people working through platforms. The key challenge in platform work relates to employment status. It is a key determinant of the access of people working through platforms to existing labour rights and protection.

In light of these challenges, the aim of the second-stage consultation is to get the social partners’ views on how to ensure that people working through platforms have decent working conditions, while supporting the sustainable growth of digital labour platforms in the EU.

Social partners are invited to respond to the questions in the consultation by 15 September 2021.