CJEU assures taxi drivers: services provided by Uber “are a integrated part of a global service whose main element is a transport service” (translated from Spanish).

Case C-434/15, moved by the Spanish taxi sector against Uber on November 2016 was finally decided a year later. The Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) has ruled that Uber is a transport service and so can be regulated as such at national level.

CJEU is the highest authority in charge of European law’s interpretation. Thus, Member States must comply with C-434/15. CJUE has also endorsed Advocate General’s Opinion, made public on May.

Miguel Ángel Leal, president of the TaxiEurope Alliance (TEA), has stressed the importance of this Judgment, which marks a turning point for the taxi sector. “Uber can not fall into the trap of tax avoidance practices, must guarantee the rights of its workers and, ultimately, must respect each Member State’s transport regulation. TEA will support all those initiatives that the European Institutions would put in place as a result of this ECJ’s Judgment”, he adds.

TEA wants to promote public, open and free digital platforms based on shared open data that will be dedicated to licensed vehicles and will enable the operators to improve the quality of their services and their accessibility.

• Taxi Europe Alliance (TEA) underlines: Uber is a transportation company.