/ Overview on the European Parliament study “The cost of Non-Europe in the Sharing Economy”

Overview on the European Parliament study "The cost of Non-Europe in the Sharing Economy" presented by HOTREC. The study was published in January 2016. The Executive Summary provides for a good overview on the main content of the study, and provides the main findings: 1. The nature of the sharing economy is likely to change and consumers are likely to benefit from lower prices and better quality. Providers enjoy new economic opportunities, however may not benefit from advantages associated with traditional employment. 2. The potential economic gain linked with a better use of capacities is estimated at 572 billion EUR, however barriers currently prevent the realisation of full benefits. 3. The current regulatory framework would in principle allow the sharing economy to grow, however maximising the benefits would require new initiatives at EU level.