Europe puts a dampner on Uber's claim not to be a taxi service

Uber's difficulty arises after an opinion saying it should have to abide by rules which govern taxi services in a case brought by France to determine if the company should be regarded as a taxi service or a digital platform that merely connected independent drivers with passengers. The recommendation, a nonbinding opinion by an advocate general for the Court of Justice of the European Union, deemed that Uber was effectively a taxi service. Maciej Szpunar said that France could ban certain types of transportation services it deemed illegal, including Uber’s low-cost service UberPop, without having to notify the European Commission. The opinion comes less than two months after Mr Szpunar delivered a similar recommendation to the court, arguing that Uber should have to comply with rules governing transportation companies. A final ruling is expected in the next few months and a decision due by the end of the year.