Brussels, 2nd June 2016 -- New guidelines for start-ups like Uber and AirBnB published by the European Commission generally move in the right direction towards providing start-ups and their customers with more clarity on their rights and obligations.

Daniel Dalton MEP, European Conservatives and Reformists group internal market and consumer protection spokesman welcomed the proposals that EU Member States should look at limiting market access to sharing start-ups only as a last resort, and in seeking to find solutions that would not see several cities in the same country taking contradictory approaches to different platforms.

Daniel Dalton said:

"We cannot continue to have the situation where a start-up pumps investment into launching a sharing platform in a town or city, only to see some left-wing Mayor come and pull the plug to appease his vested interests. By encouraging clear rules on the sharing economy at all levels, we are encouraging start-ups and more investment.

"It is clear that sharing economy start-ups need to pay taxes and be responsible participants in the market, but additional regulation at this stage will just kill the goose that could lay a golden egg.

"Take consumer laws. With the sharing economy, user reviews for something like an AirBnB are now as important for consumers as their rights under EU law. The European Commission is right to recognise the role that reviews will play.

"These guidelines are generally the right way to go, to help give potential start-ups some clarity around their rights and obligations, and then get out of their way and allow them to grow."

ENDS

Notes: For more information go to http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-16-2001_en.htm

Contact: ECR Press Office, James Holtum on +32 473 861762; james.holtum@europarl.europa.eu

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