OpenLobby.EU
Explore

Bolt

Bolt is an online platform offering ride-hailing, e-scooter and bike rental, food delivery, car sharing and quick commerce.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Pierfrancesco Maran (Member of the European Parliament)

4 Dec 2025 · Autonomous Vehicles

Meeting with Stefan Fuehring (Head of Unit Secretariat-General)

19 Nov 2025 · Regulation of private hire vehicle services Autonomous driving

Meeting with Michele Piergiovanni (Cabinet of President Ursula von der Leyen)

19 Nov 2025 · To introduce Bolt and discuss upcoming EU initiatives

Bolt urges EU to exclude on-demand delivery from postal rules

14 Nov 2025
Topic — Reform of EU postal regulatory framework to ensure affordable delivery and fair competition.
Message — Bolt requests that the EU Delivery Act exclude on-demand, app-based delivery services like Bolt Food and Bolt Send from postal regulation. They argue these services belong to urban mobility and digital platforms, already regulated under consumer protection and digital services law. Including them would create duplication and unnecessary burden.123
Why — This would help Bolt avoid postal licensing, reporting requirements, and compliance costs designed for national networks.45
Impact — Traditional postal operators may face less regulated competition from platform-based delivery services.6
Read full response

Meeting with Thibaut Kleiner (Director Communications Networks, Content and Technology) and

27 Oct 2025 · Shared mobility in Europe: ride hailing Autonomous Driving Market

Meeting with Anna Panagopoulou (Cabinet of Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas)

20 Oct 2025 · PHVs and Automated Vehicles

Meeting with Henna Virkkunen (Executive Vice-President) and

17 Oct 2025 · Shared mobility in Europe: ride hailing Autonomous Driving Market

Meeting with Ekaterina Zaharieva (Commissioner) and

17 Oct 2025 · Start-ups and Scale-ups; Ride-hailing services

Bolt urges VAT harmonisation for all international passenger transport modes

16 Oct 2025
Topic — EU proposal to modernise VAT rules for travel agents and passenger transport.
Message — Bolt requests zero-rating for all international passenger transport, simplified place of supply rules using departure location, uniform reduced VAT rates for domestic road transport including ride-hailing, and lowest VAT rates for micro-mobility services.1234
Why — This would eliminate compliance costs from multiple VAT registrations and distance calculations.56
Impact — Air and sea carriers lose their current exclusive tax advantage over land transport.78
Read full response

Bolt urges EU to simplify overlapping digital regulations for businesses

14 Oct 2025
Topic — The European Commission is seeking feedback on a legislative package to simplify digital regulations.
Message — Bolt suggests aligning the AI Act and Platform Work Directive with GDPR to prevent duplicate assessments. They also want reporting requirements streamlined and limited for non-very-large platforms.12
Why — The company would benefit from significantly lower compliance costs and reduced legal uncertainty.3
Impact — Member state governments would lose the ability to mandate specific local data disclosures and fees.4
Read full response

Meeting with Michael McGrath (Commissioner) and

10 Oct 2025 · Exchange of views on competitiveness

Meeting with Valdis Dombrovskis (Commissioner)

29 Sept 2025 · Digital policies and simplification

Bolt warns EU against blanket electric vehicle fleet mandates

26 Aug 2025
Topic — This consultation explores setting minimum zero-emission requirements for corporate vehicle fleets.
Message — Bolt calls for prioritizing enabling conditions like urban fast-charging over rigid mandates. They argue platform-level targets are unworkable as they do not own vehicles.123
Why — This approach prevents financial burdens on platforms and preserves their flexible business model.4
Impact — Drivers in countries with poor infrastructure risk exclusion from the ride-hailing market.5
Read full response

Meeting with Apostolos Tzitzikostas (Commissioner) and

17 Jul 2025 · Corporate Fleets strategic dialogue

Meeting with François Kalfon (Member of the European Parliament) and Uber and The European Association of On-Demand Mobility

24 Jun 2025 · Priorités TRAN 2024-2029

Response to Policy agenda for cities

26 May 2025

Bolt's mission is to help create cities for people, by reducing car dependency offering convenient, accessible alternatives to private vehicles. Our multimodal services including ride-hailing, shared cars, electric bikes, and scooters directly support the EUs objectives for smarter, more connected cities. Being present in 26 EU Member States and over 600 cities worldwide, we strongly believe that efficient and inclusive mobility must be a central pillar of the new EU Agenda for Cities. Removing Barriers to Shared Mobility Several cities across Europe, consistently encounter the same structural barriers to shared and on-demand mobility: insufficient ride-hailing licenses, arbitrary rules such as minimum waiting times, and requirements forcing drivers to return empty between trips. These outdated and anti-competitive regulations suppress availability and affordability, limit consumer choice, and stifle innovation across the mobility ecosystem. The environmental consequences are equally damaging: forced empty runs and underutilised shared mobility services lead to unnecessary congestion and emissions outcomes directly at odds with the EUs climate ambitions. Economically, these restrictions hold back a high-growth domestic sector at the intersection of transport and digital innovation, and jeopardise the creation of up to 600,000 additional earning opportunities projected by 2030. As highlighted in the Commissions Competitiveness Agenda and the Competitiveness Councils conclusions, tackling long-standing regulatory barriers particularly at the local level will be vital to unlocking productivity, innovation, and investment across Europe. To maximise its impact, the Agenda should also reflect the Commissions commitment as set out in the Single Market Strategy to apply EU Single Market principles to the taxi and private hire vehicle sector. This would support legal clarity, reduce fragmentation, and empower cities to deliver modern, efficient, and low-emission mobility systems. The time for action is now. Key Recommendations Common challenges, such as mobility, call for common approaches - that can be tailored to local contexts. To unlock sustainable, innovative and inclusive mobility in Europes cities, Bolt recommends equipping cities based on the right tools, and practices from across Europe. In particular the strategy should include measures that: 1. Modernise outdated local mobility rules - Updating legacy regulations that unnecessarily restrict innovative mobility services, and replace them EU-wide rules based on best regulatory practices from Member States. Rules governing shared mobility services which are fair, proportionate, and focused on safety, service quality and urban outcomes. Common rules on shared mobility services - such as ride-hailing - should ensure fair access to new operators based on demand, create a level playing field based on modern rules, and market based solutions to solve urban challenges. 2. Foster public-private collaboration - Bring new and incumbent mobility providers together to create seamless options covering all passengers these should include funding programmes, and partnerships to accelerate the deployment of new low-emission mobility technologies. Seizing the Opportunity The new EU Agenda for Cities offers a unique opportunity to address long-standing barriers to sustainable urban transport. By embracing forward-looking solutions and competition-friendly regulation, the EU Agenda for Cities can help build more liveable, and connected urban environments for all Europeans.
Read full response

Meeting with Francesco Corti (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu), Triinu Volmer (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu)

6 May 2025 · Meeting on perceived issues on labour law

Meeting with Marc Lemaitre (Director-General Research and Innovation) and

25 Apr 2025 · Second meeting of the European Startup and Scaleup Forum. Discussion on the draft building blocks of the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy structured along the identified obstacles and possible solutions.

Meeting with Marc Angel (Member of the European Parliament) and Uber and The European Association of On-Demand Mobility

22 Apr 2025 · Single Market and Ride-hailing Services

Meeting with Eric Von Breska (Director Mobility and Transport)

16 Apr 2025 · Automotive Action Plan

Meeting with Arthur Corbin (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné), Valentina Schaumburger (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné)

16 Apr 2025 · Simplification & Single Market

Meeting with Joaquim Nunes De Almeida (Director Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs)

14 Apr 2025 · Automated driving and EU regulatory environment

Meeting with Dorota Denning (Cabinet of Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis)

26 Mar 2025 · Simplification of regulatory framework for ride-hailing and transport-on-demand services

Meeting with Ioan-Dragos Tudorache (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné) and Booking.com B.V. and

25 Mar 2025 · Challenges for European tech companies that want to leverage AI to compete globally. Need for a coherent, proportionate, and effectively enforced regulatory framework that increases the competitiveness of European industry.

Meeting with Jan-Christoph Oetjen (Member of the European Parliament)

24 Mar 2025 · Exchange on urban mobility and market access

Response to EU Start-up and Scale-up Strategy

17 Mar 2025

The Start-up and Scale-up Strategy Needs a Sectoral Approach Founded in Estonia, Bolt has, over its 11-year journey, grown into a global mobility platform, serving 200 million users across more than 50 countries. This success demonstrates that Europe can be a hub for innovation and global champions. However, despite such achievements, European startups continue to struggle due to limited access to capital, talent shortages, and the absence of a truly single market, especially compared to their US, Chinese, and Russian counterparts. To remain competitive, Europe must urgently address these challenges in the upcoming EU Start-up and Scale-up Strategy. Access to Finance: European startups face significant obstacles in securing capital due to fragmented financial markets that hinder investment and complicate stock listings. The higher cost of capital, exacerbated by a heavy regulatory burden, makes it difficult for European startups to compete with US investors. Additionally, the lack of a unified stock exchange forces companies to navigate multiple national listing venues, increasing complexity and costs. Institutional investors are further constrained by country-specific mandates, restricting cross-border funding and limiting the growth potential of European startups. The upcoming EU Start-up and Scale-up Strategy must implement measures to unlock Europe's capital markets and facilitate easier access to financing. Access to Talent: Attracting top talent remains a significant challenge for European startups. High salaries offered by US companies lure skilled professionals away, while security concerns in Europe's East deter talent from moving to Europe. Furthermore, restrictive stock-option policies, including high taxation and legal complexities, reduce the attractiveness of European startups, making it harder to recruit and retain the workforce necessary for scaling innovation. The upcoming EU Start-up and Scale-up Strategy must prioritize policies that ensure Europe retains its top talent. The Need for a Sector-Specific Approach to a True Single Market: Barriers within the Single Market force European startups to make a tough choice: either navigate a complex patchwork of inconsistent regulations across member states or expand outside Europe, where regulatory frameworks are often more streamlined and conducive to growth. Reports from Draghi and Letta have made this clear: "For road transport, operators should benefit from open markets to deliver services across borders, and the most innovative services should benefit from a common baseline of rules and principles at the EU level." Take ride-hailing as an example. Across Europe, national and local regulations create a fragmented and inconsistent legal landscape, forming significant barriers for new entrants. This discourages investment, slows innovation, and ultimately prevents the sector from reaching its full potential. A truly impactful Start-up and Scale-up Strategy must go beyond general policies and commit to sector-specific approaches to ensure that European innovators can reach citizens and improve daily life. We are attaching the recommendations of the EU Future Mobility Taskforcea coalition of Europe's most innovative mobility companiesin different areas but with a common thread: 1. Creating a Single Transport Market that fosters innovation and reduces regulatory fragmentation. 2. Unlocking Capital Markets to fuel the growth of mobility innovators within the EU. 3. Engaging Citizens on Innovative Mobility Solutions by promoting science-based information on the future of mobility. The European Commission has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to ensure that innovation continues to thrive in Europe. Now is the time for decisive action. Europe must deliver.
Read full response

Meeting with Jakub Boratynski (Director Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs)

17 Mar 2025 · Single Market for Ridehailing Services

Meeting with Svenja Hahn (Member of the European Parliament) and Uber and EU Strategy

10 Mar 2025 · Ride Hailing, Single Market for Sevices

Meeting with Chiara Riondino (Head of Unit Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion) and Wolt and

20 Feb 2025 · Information exchange on the Platform Work Directive

Response to Single Market Strategy 2025

31 Jan 2025

The Single Market drives European business growth by enabling cross-border expansion, fostering innovation, and benefiting consumers with better prices and services. However, rules on transport services remain fragmented, limiting competition and delaying innovation. The European Parliament Research estimates that a fully integrated Single Transport Market could generate up to EUR 1,400 per citizen annually. The landmark Letta and Draghi reports further highlight how regulatory barriers hinder progress, and call for harmonizing principles for innovative mobility. Outdated national regulations continue to restrict ride-hailing services, making them less efficient and less accessible. Despite ever rising demand for urban mobility services, challenges remain due to outdated regulations: - License caps and inconsistent rules lead to a great shortage of drivers in several EU member states, and 1 in 2 trips unable to be served. - Mandatory wait times between trips suggest that passengers may need to book a ride up to 30' in advance. - Excessive vehicle size force drivers to buy more expensive vehicles. - The lack of flexible pricing, does not allow effectively matching supply and demand. Despite the European Commissions 2022 guidance setting the course, and the 2023 European Court of Justice ruling against restrictive quotas, these challenges remain unresolved. To create a competitive and future-proof urban mobility sector, the European Commission should propose clear rules on ride-hailing under the Single Market Strategy to: - Make requirements for professional drivers the same across Europe. - Replace license caps with market-driven access to the profession. - Modernize regulations to eliminate outdated restrictions that stifle competition and innovation. - Enable flexible pricing models to balance supply and demand efficiently. A well-integrated ride-hailing market will enhance transport efficiency, expand driver opportunities, and improve affordability. As the ride-hailing sector is directly connected with travel and tourism, it can further support these economic sectors. Creating a Single Market for ride-hailing services, will create a better connected Europe, giving access to millions of citizens to the future of urban mobility. You can find more detailed input in the enclosed document.
Read full response

Meeting with Magda Kopczynska (Director-General Mobility and Transport) and Uber and EU Strategy

29 Jan 2025 · Exchange about ride-hailing and Private Hire Vehicles with driver (PHV) – national rules and Commission approach in the new mandate

Meeting with Pierpaolo Settembri (Cabinet of Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas)

15 Jan 2025 · Introductory meeting

Meeting with Rosa Serrano Sierra (Member of the European Parliament) and European Biogas Association

9 Dec 2024 · Priorities for European Commission 2024-2029

Meeting with Sandro Gozi (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur)

5 Dec 2024 · Green Claim Directive

Meeting with Nina Carberry (Member of the European Parliament)

12 Nov 2024 · EU Transport Policy

Meeting with Nikolina Brnjac (Member of the European Parliament)

8 Nov 2024 · Shared mobility in Europe

Meeting with Andrey Novakov (Member of the European Parliament)

24 Sept 2024 · Urban mobility services

Meeting with Romana Tomc (Member of the European Parliament)

13 Sept 2024 · Creating a Single Market for shared mobility

Meeting with Jüri Ratas (Member of the European Parliament)

5 Sept 2024 · Entrepreneurship and competitiveness

Meeting with Billy Kelleher (Member of the European Parliament)

4 Sept 2024 · EU Environmental and transport policy

Meeting with Miriam Lexmann (Member of the European Parliament)

11 Jul 2024 · Single market and shared mobility

Meeting with Adina-Ioana Vălean (Commissioner) and Fastned BV and

4 Apr 2024 · EU Future Mobility Task Force

Meeting with Aleksandra Baranska (Cabinet of Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič) and EU Strategy and Voi Technology

4 Mar 2024 · Clean mobility

Meeting with Gints Freimanis (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis)

19 Feb 2024 · VAT rules for the digital age

Meeting with Magda Kopczynska (Director-General Mobility and Transport)

12 Feb 2024 · - presentation of Bolt business model & their challenges - PHV market

Meeting with Isidro Laso Ballesteros (Cabinet of Commissioner Adina Vălean) and Fastned BV and

11 Jan 2024 · Startups, innovation, transport

Meeting with Adina-Ioana Vălean (Commissioner) and

7 Nov 2023 · Shared Mobility, Urban mobility, the future of Cities

Response to Payment services – revision of EU rules (Directive)

31 Oct 2023

PSR art 2(2)(b) proposes to narrow down commercial agent exemption. As a result many marketplaces would have to obtain a payment services license (or arrange sellers to hand payments over to licensed providers), which is likely to reduce availability of digital payment methods for both buyers and sellers. Related payments' specific risk is low and not worth regulatory resources. This is true for handling of funds, as well as for AML/CFT, as commercial agents only handle payments in return of sale of goods/services. When determining exemption criteria, attention should be paid to true risks relating to payments. Scope of agents authority to conclude and/or negotiate sale agreement does not impact payment transactions related risk. Furthermore, the scope of negotiation power that payer/payee has in discussions with the agent (as proposed in PSR art 2(2)(b)(ii)), is irrelevant. True factors impacting risk are settlement setup; frequency of payouts by agent to its principal; and volume of amounts that agent may hold before payout. E.g., the UK regulator focuses on settlement setup already today when assessing whether the agent acts for the benefit of one or both parties (e.g. PERG 15.5, Q 33A). E.g., if buyers payment is settled when funds are credited to the sellers agent, the agent is seen to act for the benefit of the seller only. Buyers agency related risks are managed. Seller bears ordinary agency related non-payment risk dependent on payment volumes and payout frequency. Also, the exemption should ensure business model neutrality, e.g. equivalent treatment of models where sellers assign their claims against buyers to the marketplace (who then accepts payments as the owner of the claim) and later makes payment for assignment to seller; and possibly marketplaces who are resellers but forward purchase price to the ultimate seller upon resale. Regarding the commercial agent definition, states have implemented Directive 86/653/EEC with significant variations. As the directive is not directly applicable, mere reference to art 1(2) of Directive 86/653/EEC is likely to result in use of localised definitions. An autonomous definition in the PSR would be a harmonising solution. It can mimic the one in Directive 86/653/EEC. However, only some exclusions in Directive 86/653/EEC should be relevant for the purposes of the PSR definition. E.g., from the point of view of risks relating to handling payment transactions it is irrelevant whether the agent has authority to enter into commitments binding on his partners (Directive 86/653/EEC art 1(3)) or whether the activities of the agent are unpaid or paid (Directive 86/653/EEC art 3(1)). If regulators, regardless of above, see a need to validate risks relating to commercial agency, then instead of brutally narrowing down the exemption, its use should become subject to regulatory approval (and registration) once a certain volume threshold is crossed (similarly to the 1m threshold and registration obligation applicable to limited network exemption in proposed PSD3 rec 64 and art 39). This would allow regulators to review significant agency setups and to focus on real risk. It would help avoid overregulation and unnecessary spend of lacking regulatory resources. Note that today some Member States allow marketplaces which do not fit under commercial agent exemption to rely on limited network exemption instead. However, this assumes that agency setup involves use of specific payment instrument and relates to limited scope of services, which is restrictive and leads to discriminatory treatment of agency setups. Also, this is not universally accepted practice, which means that regulators who do not allow this, would be left struggling. Finally, if the exemption is narrowed down, marketplaces should be given sufficient time to rearrange their operations across Europe and regulators enough time to process related licensing applications (min 2 years).
Read full response

Response to Payment services – revision of EU rules (new Regulation)

31 Oct 2023

PSR art 2(2)(b) proposes to narrow down commercial agent exemption. As a result many marketplaces would have to obtain a payment services license (or arrange sellers to hand payments over to licensed providers), which is likely to reduce availability of digital payment methods for both buyers and sellers. Related payments' specific risk is low and not worth regulatory resources. This is true for handling of funds, as well as for AML/CFT, as commercial agents only handle payments in return of sale of goods/services. When determining exemption criteria, attention should be paid to true risks relating to payments. Scope of agents authority to conclude and/or negotiate sale agreement does not impact payment transactions related risk. Furthermore, the scope of negotiation power that payer/payee has in discussions with the agent (as proposed in PSR art 2(2)(b)(ii)), is irrelevant. True factors impacting risk are settlement setup; frequency of payouts by agent to its principal; and volume of amounts that agent may hold before payout. E.g., the UK regulator focuses on settlement setup already today when assessing whether the agent acts for the benefit of one or both parties (e.g. PERG 15.5, Q 33A). E.g., if buyers payment is settled when funds are credited to the sellers agent, the agent is seen to act for the benefit of the seller only. Buyers agency related risks are managed. Seller bears ordinary agency related non-payment risk dependent on payment volumes and payout frequency. Also, the exemption should ensure business model neutrality, e.g. equivalent treatment of models where sellers assign their claims against buyers to the marketplace (who then accepts payments as the owner of the claim) and later makes payment for assignment to seller; and possibly marketplaces who are resellers but forward purchase price to the ultimate seller upon resale. Regarding the commercial agent definition, states have implemented Directive 86/653/EEC with significant variations. As the directive is not directly applicable, mere reference to art 1(2) of Directive 86/653/EEC is likely to result in use of localised definitions. An autonomous definition in the PSR would be a harmonising solution. It can mimic the one in Directive 86/653/EEC. However, only some exclusions in Directive 86/653/EEC should be relevant for the purposes of the PSR definition. E.g., from the point of view of risks relating to handling payment transactions it is irrelevant whether the agent has authority to enter into commitments binding on his partners (Directive 86/653/EEC art 1(3)) or whether the activities of the agent are unpaid or paid (Directive 86/653/EEC art 3(1)). If regulators, regardless of above, see a need to validate risks relating to commercial agency, then instead of brutally narrowing down the exemption, its use should become subject to regulatory approval (and registration) once a certain volume threshold is crossed (similarly to the 1m threshold and registration obligation applicable to limited network exemption in proposed PSD3 rec 64 and art 39). This would allow regulators to review significant agency setups and to focus on real risk. It would help avoid overregulation and unnecessary spend of lacking regulatory resources. Note that today some Member States allow marketplaces which do not fit under commercial agent exemption to rely on limited network exemption instead. However, this assumes that agency setup involves use of specific payment instrument and relates to limited scope of services, which is restrictive and leads to discriminatory treatment of agency setups. Also, this is not universally accepted practice, which means that regulators who do not allow this, would be left struggling. Finally, if the exemption is narrowed down, marketplaces should be given sufficient time to rearrange their operations across Europe and regulators enough time to process related licensing applications (min 2 years).
Read full response

Meeting with Isidro Laso Ballesteros (Cabinet of Commissioner Adina Vălean) and CABIFY ESPAÑA, S.L.

19 Oct 2023 · Startups

Meeting with Isidro Laso Ballesteros (Cabinet of Commissioner Adina Vălean) and CABIFY ESPAÑA, S.L.

13 Oct 2023 · Startups, Unicorns

Meeting with Isidro Laso Ballesteros (Cabinet of Commissioner Adina Vălean)

4 Oct 2023 · Upcoming Bolt event on 07/11/2023

Meeting with Aurore Lalucq (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur)

13 Jun 2023 · Réforme paquet TVA

Response to VAT in the Digital Age

4 Apr 2023

Please find attached comments from European ride-hailing platform Bolt on the provisions related to the deemed supplier rule in the passenger transport sector and on electronic invoicing.
Read full response

Meeting with Pablo Fabregas Martinez (Cabinet of Commissioner Adina Vălean) and Confederación Empresarial de la Comunidad Valenciana

1 Feb 2023 · Sustainable urban transport

Response to Creation of the Common European Mobility Data Space

7 Dec 2022

Bolt welcomes further actions that support and strengthen the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy. As a key multimodal mobility provider, Bolt is delighted to share its consideration and recommendations for the development of a common European mobility data space through this EU call for evidence. Bolt in a nutshell: fostering multi-modality through a single App Founded in Estonia in 2013, Bolt is Europe's leading urban multi-modal transport provider, delivering shared e-scooters & e-bikes, carsharing and ride-hailing service. We have nine years experience operating in more than 45 countries across Europe, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. In Europe specifically, Bolt currently operates a fleet of 130k+ e-scooters in 250+ cities. Bolt aspires to cover the full spectrum of urban mobility needs through its multimodal App. By operating a multimodal mobility service (ride-hailling, micromobility and carsharing), Bolt enables easy shift from private cars to on-demand mobility. Bolts understating of EMDS project and feedback Increased contribution from urban shared mobility industry: Shared mobility operators are key data sources and providers regarding crucial public policy topics at the local, national and regional level, such as safety, multimodality and sustainability. Therefore, next initiatives to be deployed for the development of EMDS could take better into account shared mobility actors to make sure industrys stakeholders are included as active contributors in further discussions. Standard methodology to calculate traffic incident rates at the European level: current incident rates are differently calculated between State Members. The EMDS project should foster the standardization of a common methodology to calculate traffic accidents between all EU State Members, improving common understanding and decision making processes. Such standardization should take into consideration all kinds of existing mobility services, such as cars, bikes, scooters, mopeds, etc Data sharing requirements: As for today, the EU has been trying to develop data sharing standards that are used by public transport but do not apply to shared mobility operators (MDs). Therefore, we consider that the EMDS project should avoid the development of any other standard, but should rather focus on defining ways to communicate between existing data sharing requirements.
Read full response

Meeting with Vlad Gheorghe (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur)

8 Sept 2022 · Safe urban mobility

Meeting with Vlad Gheorghe (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur) and Micro-Mobility for Europe

30 Aug 2022 · Mobility as a service

Meeting with Sara Skyttedal (Member of the European Parliament)

31 May 2022 · Platform Work Directive

Meeting with Frans Timmermans (Executive Vice-President)

20 May 2022 · Discussion on green mobility

Meeting with Frans Timmermans (Executive Vice-President) and Skeleton Technologies OÜ and

20 May 2022 · Implementation of the European Green Deal and the challenges and opportunities for the Estonian innovative start-up sector

Meeting with Tilly Metz (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur for opinion)

19 May 2022 · Platform Work Directive

Meeting with Daniel Mes (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans), Helena Braun (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans)

6 May 2022 · Preparation of upcoming visit of EVP to Estonia

Meeting with Elisabetta Gualmini (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur) and BUSINESSEUROPE and

29 Mar 2022 · Roundtable on platform work directive

Bolt warns EU platform rules threaten 150,000 driver jobs

14 Feb 2022
Topic — Proposed EU directive to improve working conditions for people working through digital platforms.
Message — Bolt urges replacing the automatic presumption of employment with a flexible status for dependent contractors. They request removing price and quality controls from the criteria used to determine employment status. The firm argues reclassification should follow an overall assessment of driver independence.123
Why — Avoiding reclassification would prevent the total disruption and high costs of Bolt's current business model.45
Impact — Consumers would suffer from higher transport costs and reduced service availability in remote areas.6
Read full response

Meeting with Henrik Hololei (Director-General Mobility and Transport)

9 Feb 2022 · Opening services in Brussels

Meeting with Maria Luisa Cabral (Cabinet of President Ursula von der Leyen) and Portland PR Europe Limited

8 Nov 2021 · Platform work

Meeting with Werner Stengg (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager) and Portland PR Europe Limited

3 Nov 2021 · Platform workers

Meeting with Mirzha De Manuel (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis)

21 Oct 2021 · Future Commission proposal on platform work

Meeting with Henrik Hololei (Director-General Mobility and Transport)

14 Oct 2021 · Transport-on-demand

Meeting with Ana Carla Pereira (Cabinet of Commissioner Nicolas Schmit), Fabien Dell (Cabinet of Commissioner Nicolas Schmit) and

24 Sept 2021 · conditions of people working through platforms

Meeting with Nicolas Schmit (Commissioner) and

20 Sept 2021 · Consultation hearing with digital labour platforms on the Initiative on improving working conditions in platform work. (to be completed)

Meeting with Filomena Chirico (Cabinet of Commissioner Thierry Breton), Joan Canton (Cabinet of Commissioner Thierry Breton)

7 Sept 2021 · Platform workers

Meeting with Mirzha De Manuel (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis)

28 Jul 2021 · platform work and transportation sector

Meeting with Mette Dyrskjot (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager), Werner Stengg (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager)

23 Jun 2021 · Platform Workers legislation

Meeting with Anthony Whelan (Cabinet of President Ursula von der Leyen), Maria Luisa Cabral (Cabinet of President Ursula von der Leyen)

2 Jun 2021 · Upcoming Commission proposals on platform work

Meeting with Ana Carla Pereira (Cabinet of Commissioner Nicolas Schmit), Fabien Dell (Cabinet of Commissioner Nicolas Schmit)

1 Jun 2021 · Echange liée à l'initiative platform

Response to New EU urban mobility framework

25 May 2021

Bolt – Europe’s leading on-demand transportation platform, welcomes this opportunity to contribute to the European Commission’s consultation on the Roadmap ‘Sustainable transport – new urban mobility framework.’ Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Estonia, Bolt offers ride-hailing, free floating electric bike and scooter rental and car sharing services in 20 Member States. Ride-hailing platforms not only can enable EU citizens in many cases to enjoy a safer, cheaper and more reliable transport option, but ride-hailing also contributes to the decrease of individual property of cars, in line with the goal of the European Commission to fight against Climate Change. Regulatory fragmentation is a key hindrance to the ride-hailing sector, and particularly to European ride-hailing companies with an environmental conscience and a drive for innovation. There are still many national or local regulations which make it very difficult for ride-hailing platforms to operate in a sustainable way, not to mention cases where ride-hailing operations are still forbidden. This prevents ride-hailing actors from meeting the growing demand for mobility services of the EU citizens and from creating tens of thousands of jobs around Europe. Several of these regulations are clearly not aligned with the Green Deal objectives: · “return to garage rules” leading drivers to drive unnecessary distances which increases urban pollution . drivers forbidden to park to wait for an order forcing them to constantly drive . ban on smartphone usage by drivers to receive orders · the obligation to wait for a minimum time length between the order and arrival of a car which is detrimental to both the drivers and the clients · minimum journey lengths and fares (up to 3 hours and 90 euros) which are not adapted to the mobility needs . unfavorable PHV quotas versus taxis leading to regulatory capture · PHV drivers’ exam process leading to artificial quantitative limitations for drivers . drivers forbidden from using their PHV car for personal use, meaning they have to buy another one Many of these rules should now be reformed. As there is evidence that there is a Single Market in ride-hailing (as many clients use the same ride-hailing mobile application in several Member States), there is a strong need to implement some harmonized regulation among Member States and set up a minimum of the regulation layer at EU level. We urge the Commission to address these issues in the "New EU urban mobility framework" expected in Q3 2021. We also strongly encourage the Commission to seize this opportunity to announce its plans for a legislative initiative on the matter. Micromobility The green transition can only be achieved if passenger transport emissions are significantly reduced through the uptake of smaller and more sustainable modes of transport, like e-scooters. Citizens will only use them if they feel safe doing so. This requires the introduction of traffic calming measures, segregated infrastructure and dedicated parking facilities. These measures will kill two birds with one stone: a modal shift away from cars and motorcycles could deliver significant road safety benefits and public health benefits linked with physical activity and air quality. Bolt calls upon the European Commission to give cities the necessary tools and support to create the conditions for citizens to confidently take up sustainable modes for their daily transport needs. Finally, a precondition for the uptake of sustainable modes across Europe is that these modes are made available in all EU Member States. The uptake of e-scooters in some Member States is currently limited due to unnecessarily restrictive national legislation. Bolt calls on the European Commission to ensure that e-scooters are made accessible to all European citizens by setting harmonised technical requirements for e-scooters across Europe, separate from Regulation 168/2013.
Read full response

Meeting with Nicolas Schmit (Commissioner) and

26 Apr 2021 · Meeting on platform work.

Meeting with Joost Korte (Director-General Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion)

17 Mar 2021 · platform work

Meeting with Ana Carla Pereira (Cabinet of Commissioner Nicolas Schmit) and Wolt and

17 Mar 2021 · Regulation of digital platforms and platform work in the EU

Response to Collective bargaining agreements for self-employed – scope of application EU competition rules

3 Feb 2021

Bolt, founded in Estonia, is an information society service which is the leading European urban mobility platform, intermediating ride-hailing and food delivery services. Bolt believes collective bargaining is not appropriate for “all solo self-employed providing their own labour through digital labour platforms,” and as such opposes the four options put forward by the Commission. Collective bargaining should be a privilege reserved to trade unions and such a change would be attritional of the trade unions’ privileges. The first ground for this is legal: competition law is not designed to regulate competition between individuals. Collective bargaining should be an employment law matter, as guaranteed by international rights (e.g. International Labour Organisation Conventions), where the Commission has a shared competence. In addition, existing legislation already covers the relationship between individuals and the platforms through which they provide services. For example, most drivers in the ride-hailing sector operate under a micro-business status, and their relationships with platforms are regulated by the Platform to Business (P2B) Regulation. Secondly, collective bargaining is inappropriate for much of the differentiated platform economy. If applied to the ride-hailing sector, collective bargaining would harm European drivers, platforms, passengers and would jeopardize the business model of the sector’s operators. Collective bargaining is only appropriate when a worker is fully dependent on a provider of work; as things stand, drivers can – and most do – work simultaneously on competing platforms; they may also have revenues from other work than driving. If collective bargaining were to be imposed, it would have to be accompanied by exclusivity, i.e. drivers would only be allowed to work for one platform. This would represent a major loss of independence for drivers and force them to accept shifts on one platform, while the vast majority say they want to preserve the flexibility of choosing when they work. The present status also encourages competition between platforms, which benefits consumers and innovation. The ride-hailing sector is a 3-sided marketplace: drivers, consumers and the intermediary platform such as Bolt. Giving drivers collective bargaining rights would give them disproportionate power over end consumers and would enable drivers to extract illegitimate economic rent as a result of their licence, which is potentially in and of itself contrary to Art 106 TFEU. Bolt agrees with the Commission that any potential agreement on collective bargaining should not cover trading conditions such as prices charged to the client or price fixing. If that were not the case, it would lead to much higher prices, decreasing demand from clients and ultimately shrinking drivers’ revenues. This would be a significant blow for Bolt drivers, who in average always earn revenues above the minimum wage of the European countries they work in and a multiple of it in many cases. By jeopardising a still-emerging model, collective bargaining would decrease the number of work opportunities for drivers. At a time when the European job market is in crisis, this would disproportionately impact the work opportunities of minority groups, who represent an important portion of ride-hailing drivers and are often discriminated against in other sectors. Ultimately, this decrease in the number of drivers would affect European consumers’ access to the mobility services and would harm European tech unicorns such as Bolt. Bolt would therefore favour a more modern option, where platforms would be encouraged to engage in regular dialogue with drivers, potentially through elected representatives, without crossing into collective bargaining territory. Bolt has already adopted such an approach. Drivers may reach Bolt online at any time, and Bolt has set up several country-specific initiatives to improve its dialogue with the drivers.
Read full response

Meeting with Antoine Kasel (Cabinet of Commissioner Nicolas Schmit)

29 Jan 2021 · Platform workers

Meeting with Werner Stengg (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager) and Wolt and

18 Jan 2021 · Statement of Principles of EU technology platforms, DSA

Meeting with Daniel Mes (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans)

28 Oct 2020 · Smart Mobility

Meeting with Henrik Hololei (Director-General Mobility and Transport)

20 Oct 2020 · Local transport on demand

Meeting with Nicolas Schmit (Commissioner) and

8 Sept 2020 · Roundtable on platform work.

Meeting with Ana Carla Pereira (Cabinet of Commissioner Nicolas Schmit), Fabien Dell (Cabinet of Commissioner Nicolas Schmit)

7 May 2020 · Platform workers

Meeting with Thierry Breton (Commissioner) and

30 Apr 2020 · Impact of covid on e-commerce ecosystem

Meeting with Werner Stengg (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager)

18 Feb 2020 · Introduction of company; platform policy

Meeting with Nele Eichhorn (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager)

24 Jan 2020 · Digitally enabled services in the EU's single market + EU's SME & industrial strategy

Meeting with Filomena Chirico (Cabinet of Commissioner Thierry Breton), Pauline Weinzierl (Cabinet of Commissioner Thierry Breton)

14 Jan 2020 · Ridesharing services in the Internal Market

Meeting with Filip Alexandru Negreanu Arboreanu (Cabinet of Commissioner Adina Vălean) and Portland PR Europe Limited

9 Jan 2020 · Mobility issues

Meeting with Henrik Hololei (Director-General Mobility and Transport)

28 Nov 2019 · mobility

Meeting with Antonio Lowndes Marques De Araujo Vicente (Cabinet of Commissioner Carlos Moedas), Keith Sequeira (Cabinet of Commissioner Carlos Moedas)

26 Jun 2019 · European Innovation Policy

Meeting with Carlos Moedas (Commissioner) and

17 May 2019 · Horizon Europe , EIC

Meeting with Henrik Hololei (Director-General Mobility and Transport)

6 May 2019 · app-facilitated transport and sharing of means of transport

Meeting with Andrus Ansip (Vice-President) and

11 Apr 2019 · Sharing economy, mobility, data, platforms