Move EU

Brussels, 1 October 2025 – Move EU, the association representing Europe’s leading on-demand transport platforms, today joined forces with Members of the European Parliament to call on the European Commission to harmonise rules on ride-hailing.

A new independent report commissioned by Move EU, shows that modern EU-level rules could unlock 219,000 jobs in major cities and cut EU carbon emissions by nearly a third.

The report, Green Light for Growth: How New Ride-Hailing Rules Can Accelerate Europe, conducted by Ricardo, shows how restrictive national measures are stifling growth, inflating costs for passengers, and undermining Europe’s green transition.

The analysis highlights the potential for 219,000 new jobs in six major cities alone, a one-third cut in emissions, and a major boost to the Single Market if new EU rules would partly harmonize today’s patchwork of national restrictions.

Currently, national measures vary from license caps, which restrict the number of ride-hailing drivers in a city, to “return-to-garage” requirements, which force drivers to go back to a fixed parking spot before accepting another ride.

Rather than reducing these anti-competitive barriers, some Member States are making them more complex, notably in Spain and Italy.

The findings come as the European Commission prepares to act on its Single Market Strategy, which includes a commitment to take action on ride-hailing and taxi services. One year after the Draghi Report called for urgent reforms, ride-hailing stands out as a sector where new rules would deliver immediate, tangible benefits. Move EU now asks the European Commission for concrete legislative action.

Key findings:

Jobs and Earnings:

• • Up to 219,000 new jobs across Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Brussels, Liège alone could be created if artificial license caps were lifted across major EU cities.
  • Scrapping “return-to-garage” rules in Germany alone would cut costs and boost driver incomes by up to 10%.
  • Removing rigid minimum fare rules could increase revenues by 11%, with driver incomes rising by up to 6%.
    
    
    Environment:
    
    • Ride-hailing is accountable for around 34% fewer CO₂ emissions per kilometre than private cars.
    • Fleets are switching to zero-emission vehicles faster than the wider car market.
    • Removing “return-to-garage” rules in Germany alone would cut CO₂ emissions by up to 29%.
      
      

“Mobility should be a right, not a privilege. This report shows how outdated rules hold Europe back - with modern ride-hailing regulations, tens of millions get flexible transport options, hundreds of thousands gain jobs, and everyone enjoys better cities.” Eirini Zafeiratou, Vice President of Public Policy, Bolt.

“Every day, we see how outdated national rules impact ride-hailing drivers: their ability to get a licence, work and earn. They also prevent European citizens from truly enjoying their freedom of movement, such as women who have to set up avoidance strategies when they cannot find mobility solutions at night or people with disabilities who cannot get individualized solutions. Creating a true Single Market for ride-hailing is essential to accelerate the green transition and provide a more reliable service for the 190 million Europeans who will be using these platforms by 2030.” Laureline Serieys, Senior Director, General Manager France, Uber.

“The study makes clear that if we modernise outdated national rules, Europe can unlock thousands of new jobs, leading to increased incomes for drivers, and cleaner cities. Ride-hailing is already part of how millions of Europeans move every day, what we need now is a balanced European framework that protects workers, strengthens the Single Market, and delivers on our climate goals. And since the Commission Notice 2022, it has become clear that action on EU level is necessary.” MEP Andi Cristea (S&D, RO).

“Although ride-hailing services are an important part of urban mobility, they cannot realize their full potential due to the patchwork of EU legislation. We need to harmonize European legislation to provide a user-friendly and coherent mobility experience.” MEP Jan-Christoph Oetjen (RE, DE).

“Europe cannot manage 21st-century mobility with 20th-century rules. Ride-hailing services are offered in all of Europe's major cities, yet the rules governing them are fragmented and outdated. We need to develop a true Single Market for mobility services, which brings harmonised rules for ride-hailing services but also for the deployment of autonomous vehicles.

Our goal should ultimately be to offer better, fairer, and more sustainable mobility options to all citizens across the European Union.” MEP Pierfrancesco Maran (S&D, IT).

“For passengers, the benefits of modernising outdated rules are tangible: shorter waiting times, more drivers available, and more affordable options to move around their cities. Today, access to these services depends too much on where you live or travel in Europe. A genuine Single Market for ride-hailing would ensure that millions of Europeans and visitors can count on reliable, safe, and sustainable mobility wherever they are.” Aurélien Pozzana, Chair of Move EU.