Eurofound

Eurofound, the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, is a European Union agency, which provides knowledge and information on social, employment and labour market policies, and informs the wider European debate in this area. Eurofound’s work directly feeds into a number of key European strategic priorities and contributes to effective policy and decision-making when it comes to policy areas like working conditions, industry relations, social dialogue, employment and labour market, living conditions and quality of life, impact of technology and change, or social cohesion. 

Eurofound is behind a number of publications, exploring the social and employment dimensions of specific policies, and is responsible for conducting 3 pan-European surveys (on European companies, quality of life, and working conditions), carried out every 4 to 5 years. The Eurofound Platform Economy Repository, one of the numerous resources available via the agency, provides relevant information on platform work and economy in Europe and beyond, in a user-friendly and accessible for all space. The platform economy in Europe began to emerge around 15 years ago, driven by technological progress and the emergence of digital networks, or online platforms. This development led to the creation of platform work, an entirely new business model and form of employment, in which services are provided on demand, paid work is organised via an online platform, and work is contracted out with the aim of carrying out specific tasks or solving particular problems. Within the repository, users can also find: 

• Dossiers with information and analysis on platform economy issues from authoritative experts in the field, and policymakers
• A typology of platform work specifics to guide users in understanding new forms of work and employment engagement
• An extensive database of policy and research publications on platform economy
• Articles and practical experiences of professionals in the field
• Initiatives and activities promoted by stakeholders to tackle emerging issues in the platform economy. 

The repository is frequently updated with new information and relevant resources to support workers, citizens and policymakers throughout the European member states. Plans to expand the scope of the initiative to other sectors are also underway.