The Collaborative economy in action: context and outline of country reports
ENThe aim of this chapter was to present the idea and structure of The Collaborative Economy in Action: European Perspectives. This book is based on the 27 European country reports presented by the members of the COST Action CA16121 From Sharing to Caring: Examining the Socio-Technical Aspects of the Collaborative Economy conducted between 2017–2021. From the collected countries’ reports, it is evident that SE development varies across Europe and beyond. The facts presented in the chapters reveal stronger development in some particular domains, such as transportation and accommodation services. The development of the SE reflects the needs and aspirations of consumers and provides new opportunities for obtaining goods and services in more accessible ways, for example, for a lower price and from peers. At the same time, some features are common to most countries. Regarding the definition of CE and SE, most of the countries included in this book lack a generally accepted definition of the phenomenon. The existing definitions focus on selling, buying, swapping, or sharing goods and services via the Internet and digital platforms. Legislation focusing on the relations within the SE actors is almost non-existent in most countries. Therefore, issues related to the social protection of rights and the interests of parties involved in the SE, taxation, competition, and data protection are unresolved in many countries.The major players contributing to the SE development are, according to the reports included in this collection, customers, partners from both the public and the private sectors, universities, and governments. The main achievement of this volume is that it provides the most recent country-specific approaches related to the SE conceptualization, policies, development, and functions in the countries included. Interdisciplinary approaches resulting from the authors’ very diverse backgrounds give a comprehensive perspective on this innovative phenomenon. The book might support the identification of barriers and ambiguities, as well as proposing new dimensions of SE. The editors and contributors hope that the book will become a useful tool for scholars, teachers, students, practitioners, and others who are looking for answers related to the phenomena of the CE and SE and the processes explored in this volume.
