28 January 2020

WestMidland Europe Hub, avenue d’Auderghem ,Brussels

14.00h-17.45h, followed by a networking reception

 You can already register HERE

Eurofound, ACCA and SMEunited are delighted to invite you to attend a joint conference on ‘The changing environment of the self-employed’. The half-day conference will bring together up to 100 policy makers, social partners, representatives from business, professional bodies and academia. As a new College of Commissioners takes shape, together with a recently elected European Parliament, it will be a timely opportunity for a lively and interactive debate on how the world of work is constantly evolving due to megatrends such as globalisation, changing lifestyles, an ageing population, new business practices and digitisation and the impact on employment.

Recent changes have led to increased labour market flexibility and greater diversity in forms of work, creating new types of work  and allowing more people to become professionally active. At the same time, a well-functioning European labour market that ensures inclusive growth for all requires that the working environment and its legal ecosystem match these realities. Yet little is known about these new types of work, mainly created through online platforms. Some argue that this form of self-employment brings great opportunities and there are those that highlight the many challenges and risks. And what are the implications of these new realities for public policy in Europe?

This event will be a useful forum to explore the changing landscape of the self-employed through the prism of new business models and platforms. It will be an opportunity to discuss the impact of the changing world of work on employment, as well as a chance to debate the blurred boundaries between dependent employment and self-employment. A first panel session will look at taxation and employment/social aspects, including the thorny issue of social protection. The second will cover company law and platform business relations, including issues linked to fair digital corporate responsibility and fairness in platform work.

We will send a more detailed invitation in January. Confirmed speakers for now include: Juan Menéndez-Valdés, Executive Director of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound); Dragos Pislaru, MEP ;   Salla Saastamoinen, Director, DG JUST;  Stijn Broecke, Head of Future of Work,  OECD; Max Uebe, Head of Unit, Employment Strategy, DG Employment; Karolien Lenaerts, KU Leuven;  Mathijn Wilkens, Research Officer, Working Life Unit, Eurofound; Ignacio Doreste, ETUC; Gerhard Huemer, Director, Economic Affairs and Taxation, SMEunited;   Luc Hendrickx,  Director of Enterprise Policy and International Affairs,  SMEunited; Jason Piper, head of Business Law and Taxation, ACCA; Croatian Presidency of the Council of the EU (name tbc)

Please note that pictures, videos, and audio recordings will be made at this event in which you may be featured. By attending this event, you grant the organisers the right to use such material for non-commercial purposes, including the posting of photos and/or videos on our website. If you wish to object to this, please contact the organisers.