BRUSSELS – The Latest on the European Union ruling that Uber should be regulated as a taxi company (all times local):
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11:40 a.m.
The Barcelona-based law firm representing Elite Taxi, the association that filed the lawsuit against Uber that eventually saw Europe’s top court rule that the ride-hailing service should be regulated as a taxi company, has hailed the decision.
SBC Abogados said in a statement that the ruling had “great judicial significance” and that it could be “extrapolated to other businesses that keep trying to avoid legal responsibilities in the services that they provide.”
Earlier, the European Court of Justice struck down Uber’s arguments that it is an information services company, ruling that it should be regulated like a transport company within EU member nations.
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11:20 a.m.
Uber is playing down the EU court ruling saying it should be regulated like a taxi company, and says it will continue to find ways to operate in Europe.
The San Francisco-based company said in a statement that the ruling “will not change things in most EU countries where we already operate under transportation law.”
Prompted by legal complaints, some EU countries have already forced Uber and similar ride-hailing services to operate under national transport regulations.
Uber said that it will “continue the dialogue with cities across Europe” to allow access to its services.
Earlier, the European Court of Justice struck down Uber’s arguments that it is an information services company, ruling that it should be regulated like a transport company within EU member nations.
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9:50 a.m.
The European Union’s top court has ruled that ride-hailing service Uber should be regulated like a taxi company, a decision that could change the way it functions across the continent.
The ruling Wednesday by the Luxembourg-based European Court of Justice stems from a complaint by a Barcelona taxi drivers association.
The taxi drivers wanted to prevent Uber from setting up in the Spanish city, and said Uber drivers should have authorizations and licenses.
San Francisco-based Uber argued that it should be regulated as a technology service and not a transport company, because it is based on an app that connects drivers to riders.
The court said in a statement that services like Uber must be classified as “a service in the field of transport.” The decision could affect such services around the EU.
