Brussels, 06/06/2016 (Agence Europe) - The guidelines on the collaborative economy presented by the European Commission on 2 June mainly focus on large-scale projects and somewhat ignore more modest projects at local and regional levels, explained the Committee of the Regions (CoR) in a press release published on Friday 3 June.
"The collaborative economy is not just about multinational companies", explained Benedetta Brighenti (PES, Italy), a member of the CoR and the own opinion rapporteur on the local and regional dimension of the shared economy, in response to the Commission's guidelines (see EUROPE 11564 and 11561). In her opinion, the collaborative economy or, rather, the "sharing" economy, according to the terms used by the rapporteur, represents enormous potential for the cities and regions in the circular and social economy. In this connection, Ms Brighenti said that she regretted the lack of substance in the communication on local and regional initiatives in the sharing economy.
In its press release, the CoR therefore emphasised that the Commission communication was just another step at a European level and not the final word. According to the CoR, action is needed to rectify legal uncertainties, as well as tackle the regulatory fragmentation obstructing the effective functioning of the internal market. The press release explains that "Support is needed for cities and regions since they are on the frontline when it comes to dealing with emerging problems such as struggling traditional providers, lack of housing and shrinking city budgets and tax revenues". These ideas resonate with the thematic priorities in the Pact of Amsterdam on the Urban Policy for the Union (see EUROPE 11552), as well as a recent study by the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) (see EUROPE 11564).
The opinion adopted at the Committee last December also criticises the European Commission's very concept of the collaborative economy. The CoR says that the Commission only sees it in a commercial perspective and has marginalised non-commercial approaches based on common resources and goods. The opinion also considers that local and regional authorities under the terms of the principle of local autonomy should have the opportunity to regulate these new activities at their respective levels "in order to allow local and regional authorities to adapt sharing economy initiatives and ventures to local conditions". (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)