Uber has lost a key legal battle after being ruled that it is operating as a transport service by a key advisor to the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ).
The ECJ’s advocate general Maciej Szpunar has found that the way taxi platform Uber conducts its business makes it a transport company rather than a digital service.
“The Uber electronic platform, whilst innovative, falls within the field of transport: Uber can thus be required to obtain the necessary licences and authorisations under national law,” said Szpunar.
“Uber cannot be regarded as a mere intermediary between drivers and passengers.”
While the opinion is not binding on the ECJ, the judges at the court normally follow the views of the advocate general in their decisions.
Uber said in a statement: “Being considered a transportation company would not change the way we are regulated in most EU countries as that is already the situation today.
“It will, however, undermine the much needed reform of outdated laws which prevent millions of Europeans from accessing a reliable ride at the tap of a button.”
The opinion should not affect how Uber operates in the UK as it is licenced in the same way as other private hire vehicle companies.
But it is expected to have an impact on how the taxi technology firm operates in other parts of the EU.
Uber is currently not able to operate in major cities such as Frankfurt and Barcelona, while it has resumed services in Berlin and Madrid as a licensed operator.