Collaborative Platforms in the European Union from the Standpoint of Sustainable Development
Keywords:
gospodarka współpracy, gospodarka dzielenia się, Unia EuropejskaSynopsis
This publication addresses the issue of the collaborative economy in the European Union from the perspective of sustainable development. From the simple idea of renting, lending, reselling, or swapping underutilised resources (e.g., tools, space, time, and skills), the collaborative economy developed into a complex, novel, and innovative economic sector which has completely revolutionised traditional markets and shifted consumer preferences and lifestyles. Today’s collaborative economy consists of a wide array of business models which vary significantly in their ideological roots, values, technological resources, size, and legal forms. This multifaceted socio-economic phenomenon has become a subject of fierce debate in both media and academic discourses. While supporters of the collaborative economy firmly believe that it is a promising opportunity for individual activism, sustainable development and environmental progress, opponents call it a misleading mystification of an unruly and unjustly idealised “low cost” access economy. Whether collaborative platforms should be seen as profit-driven corporations which hide their disruptive business model under greenwashing slogans, or as pioneers in transforming commercial business models into sustainable and environmentally friendly companies, is highly disputed.
Chapters
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Preface .......... 7
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List of Acronyms and Abbreviations .......... 11
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1. INTRODUCTION .......... 13
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Background .......... 13
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Literature Review and Relevance of the Subject .......... 14
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Research Objective .......... 15
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Research Hypotheses .......... 16
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Methodology .......... 17
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Delimitation .......... 18
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Structure .......... 18
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2. COLLABORATIVE ECONOMY .......... 21
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2.1. Defining the Collaborative Economy .......... 21
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2.2. Key Characteristics of Collaborative Platforms .......... 25
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2.3. Types of Collaborative Platforms .......... 27
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2.4. Regulatory Challenges of the Collaborative Economy .......... 31
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2.5. Summary .......... 41
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3. Collaborative Platforms in the European Union and United Kingdom .......... 43
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3.1. The Size and Development of Collaborative Platforms in the EU .......... 43
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3.2. Diverse Regulatory Frameworks towards Collaborative Platforms in Member States .......... 49
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3.3. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Collaborative Platforms .......... 52
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3.4. The Evolution of the EU Institutions’ Approach towards Collaborative Platforms .......... 56
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3.5. The Evolution of the United Kingdom’s Approach towards Collaborative Platforms .......... 62
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3.6. Summary .......... 65
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4. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS AND THE COLLABORATIVE ECONOMY IN THE EUROPEAN UNION .......... 69
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4.1. Sustainable Development Goals within EU Policy .......... 69
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4.2. Impact of Collaborative Platforms from the Perspective of the Sustainable Development Goals .......... 73
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4.3. Future of the Collaborative Economy in the EU .......... 76
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4.4. Recommendations for the Monitoring the Collaborative Economy in the EU .......... 81
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4.5. Recommendations for the Regulation of the Collaborative Economy in the EU .......... 84
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4.6. Summary .......... 89
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5. Concluding Remarks .......... 93
