Unsettled State of Regulation: Italy’s Hard Path Towards Effective Rules for the Sharing Economy

Abstract

Since its heyday, the Italian sharing economy has emblematically displayed the problem of a wanting and largely ineffective regulatory environment. To date, the Italian legislator has been unable to formulate a consistent legal response to the main social and economic challenges stemming from the sharing economy, opting for ad hoc reactive measures, and leaving great uncertainty among all stakeholders. This has been exacerbated by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has seen the slowdown of some sharing economy activities and the rise of new ones. Building on these premises, the chapter offers a snapshot of the current reality of the Italian sharing economy, highlighting the main legal issues emerging from its consolidation, reflecting on the main implications of the COVID-19 crisis within the sector, and drawing meaningful considerations on some policy directions worth considering in the post-pandemic society.