“The nature of the links between the inter-mediation service and the provision of accommodation did not justify departing from the classification of that inter-mediation service as an ‘information society service’,” the Court of Justice of the European Union said.
U.S. homesharing site Airbnb on Thursday won its battle to remain exempt from onerous European property regulations, as the EU’s top court ruled it was an online platform and not a property agent.
The case came before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) following a complaint by French tourism association AHTOP.
The issue underlines the quandary regulators face in dealing with new online services venturing into traditional businesses, but not subjected to the same rules.
For Airbnb, the French case is significant as the International Olympic Committee has agreed to promote the company for accommodation during the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Judges in essence accepted the company’s arguments that it is an online platform and not a property agent.
“The nature of the links between the intermediation service and the provision of accommodation did not justify departing from the classification of that intermediation service as an ‘information society service’,” the CJEU said.
The court also faulted France for not notifying the European Commission, the EU executive, of the requirement for Airbnb to hold an estate agent’s professional licence.
Airbnb welcomed the judgment.
“We want to be good partners to everyone and already we have worked with more than 500 governments to help hosts share their homes, follow the rules and pay tax,” it said in a statement.
Airbnb has in recent years dueled with hoteliers and authorities in cities from New York to Amsterdam, Berlin and Paris, accused of worsening housing shortages and pushing out lower income residents.
The case is C-390/18 Airbnb Ireland.
The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We specialize in industries such as Semiconductor and Electronics, Aerospace and Defense, Automotive and Transportation, Biotechnology, Healthcare IT, Manufacturing and Construction, Medical Device, Technology, Media and Telecommunications, Chemicals and Materials.
Severity: Warning
Message: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable
Filename: amp/news_details_amp.php
Line Number: 252
Backtrace:
File: /home/smartmarketnews/public_html/application/views/amp/news_details_amp.php
Line: 252
Function: _error_handler
File: /home/smartmarketnews/public_html/application/controllers/Amp_controller.php
Line: 41
Function: view
File: /home/smartmarketnews/public_html/index.php
Line: 315
Function: require_once
Smarter Decisions with Smart News
Smart Market News is committed to getting its readers the latest updates and insights on industries that help in making “smarter” business decisions. With insights and inputs from corporate decision makers, we bring you the stories of adopting innovative solutions and strategies that have been changing the world. Our editorial insights on products, solutions, companies, and adoption of best practices not only help in understanding the markets better, but also prove to be a complete package for your information needs.
media@smartmarketnews.com | sales@smartmarketnews.com
Contact Us