Digital platforms can kickstart a boon of economic growth across Europe, so long as they receive enough investment and the regulation around them is simplified.
This was the main takeaway from a policy lunch held in the European Parliament, attended by MEPs and innovators in the digital platform revolution, such as Uber, Ring Twice and Too Good To Go.
In her opening remarks MEP Inese Vaidere, the co-host of the event, pointed out that digital platforms have transformed the way we live, work, and trade, by offering small businesses access to unprecedented opportunity. But she called for greater investment in people and a digital future that “works for everyone”.
The EU has already made major strides towards creating a fair and balanced digital environment. Laws such as the Digital Services Act, the Digital Markets Act, the Platform Work Directive and the AI Act all form a foundation for a digital economy that reflects the European values of fairness, safety, and innovation.
Yet despite progress, Vaidere argued that we cannot afford to be complacent. The Draghi Report provides a clear and ambitious roadmap for the next phase of Europe’s digital transformation by outlining three key priorities. Firstly, more investment in education, research, and startup ecosystems. Supporting skills development and digital literacy will allow European talent to thrive and attract global investment, Vaidere reiterated.
The success of Stripe, now valued at over $90 billion, wasn’t just about funding. It was about being in an environment that believed in innovation. Europe can and should provide that environment too
MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú
To solidify this investment and ensure our efforts aren’t wasted, the Draghi report called for rules to be simplified for SMEs. Vaidere said these clear, consistent, and workable regulations should empower SMEs to embrace digital tools and innovate without being buried in bureaucracy.
Lastly, Vaidere reiterated Draghi’s call for strengthening the Single Market for digital platforms. She argued that fragmented national rules wee holding Europe back. A dedicated initiative to streamline and harmonize digital regulations will allow platforms to scale faster and compete fairly. This is essential, she said, not only for tech companies but for every sector that now relies on digital tools.
The next speaker agreed wholeheartedly. Laurent Slits, Uber’s General Manager for Belgium & Luxembourg, recalled witnessing firsthand how fragmented national rules are holding Europe back.
In Belgium alone, he said, thousands of drivers were left without work. “They're stuck on a waiting list, due to strict and artificial license caps,” he added.
“Drivers must in Ireland and Austria must still pass tests on reading paper maps, yet it’s 2025! In Germany and Greece, outdated ‘return to garage’ rules force drivers to return with empty tanks after every trip, wasting time fuel, and of course generating unnecessary emissions.”
Slits said a “more harmonized and ambitious single market” was needed to “unlock greater innovation, competition, and sustainability”.
He explained that Uber, often seen as a symbol of American entrepreneurship, is a deeply embedded part of Europe’s economic fabric. In 2024 alone, Uber contributed €24 billion to the EU economy and for every euro spent on the app, over €1.10 flows into local businesses. He added that the case for completing the digital single market now speaks for itself in improving the lives of ordinary EU citizens.
Attendees also heard from MEP Alex Agius Saliba, Vice President of the S&D Parliamentary Group, who showcased the EU’s work in addressing the platform economy. Specifically, he highlighted the Platform Work Directive and regulations on short-term rentals as key steps to address the challenges of the platform economy, such as protection for citizens’ data and for those who work in the gig economy.
Naturally, Saliba’s focus was on worker protections and insisted these would benefit everyone. “The protection of workers' rights and the regulations that protect our citizens are a part of our success as a continent.” he argued. “We should cherish this European model and innovations that make us more efficient. Good rules are good for business.”
But Renew MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú also stressed the need to avoid overregulation. “Too often, European innovators are tangled in red tape,” she warned. “Overregulation is stifling ambition. We shouldn’t kill the baby in the cradle. Every unnecessary delay, every incoherent policy, and every missed opportunity to streamline rules is a blow to innovation.”
Ní Mhurchú gave the example of her countrymen Patrick and John Collison, the founders of Stripe. “Two brothers from a rural Irish town who couldn’t get the support they needed at home. So, they left for Silicon Valley. There, in an ecosystem that valued speed, risk, and ambition, they built Stripe, now valued at over $90 billion and serving businesses around the world.”
“Their success wasn’t just about funding,” she stressed. “It was about being in an environment that believed in them. Europe can and should provide that environment too.”
To round off the debate, Ioannis Papadopoulos, the competitiveness attaché for the Cypriot Permanent Representation, was on hand to offer a glimpse of potential EU laws in the future. As Cyprus prepares to take on the Presidency of the Council of the EU on 1st January 2026, it is placing digital transformation at the heart of its agenda, creating a more competitive, yet technologically sovereign Europe.
Papadopoulos referred to a ‘Digital Networks Act’ to stimulate investment in next-generation connectivity, which he called “a robust connectivity framework that stimulates investment in next-generation digital networks.” He also outlined a potential European Business Wallet to streamline digital processes and reduce administrative burdens for companies, as well as further support for ‘AI Factories’, keeping in mind the need to promote responsible and human-centric AI.
As the range of speeches during the lunch proved, Europe’s digital future will be built not just on innovation, but on the choices we make today about investment, regulation, and inclusivity.
Stakeholders from across the political spectrum agreed that platforms can drive growth, jobs, and innovation, if supported by smart, simplified regulation and bold investment in skills and infrastructure.
Draghi’s vision for a more streamlined and efficient regulation could not be more apt for a sector such as the digital platform economy. And with a whole host of businesses, from SMEs to multinational corporations all calling for harmonised rules, completing the single digital market is critical to turbocharging Europe’s growth.
Sign up to The Parliament's weekly newsletter
Every Friday our editorial team goes behind the headlines to offer insight and analysis on the key stories driving the EU agenda. Subscribe for free here.