Sometimes, what’s omitted is more important than what’s included. And never more so than in relation to EU regulation and compliance. Providers of peer-to-peer platforms may have feared that a desire by the EU to “encourage” the development of European-based collaborative economy businesses would inevitably lead to more regulation. But a recent Communication by the European Commission seems intended not only to allay fears of sector-specific regulation but, even better, to encourage EU Member States to simplify and remove unnecessary regulatory burdens.

The sector has many names – the collaborative economy, the sharing economy, peer-to-peer, on-demand services, etc. Whichever name you prefer, platforms offering services that involve individuals sharing their resources are increasingly successful. Indeed, gross revenue from collaborative economy services reached €28 billion in Europe in 2015.