- Commercial Law
- Jan Vanbeckevoort - Griet Verfaillie
- e-commerce , online transaction , alternative online dispute resolution , ADR , Alternative Dispute Resolution , online dispute resolution , ODR , ODR-platform , ODR Regulation for consumers
Consumers increasingly make purchases online and an increasing number of traders sell online.
In order to boost consumer confidence in carrying out transactions online the European Union (EU)
legislator found it essential to resolve disputes in a fast and efficient manner.
Within the current legislation on alternative dispute resolution (ADR) the EU wants to provide a
reliable and efficient online dispute resolution (ODR) mechanism.
Regulation 524/2013 of the European parliament and the Council of 21 May 2013 on online dispute
resolution for consumer disputes (hereinafter: “ODR Regulation for consumers”), entering into force
on 9 January 2016, provides an online dispute resolution platform (hereinafter:
“ODR platform”) that is available for use as of 15 February 2016.
The ODR platform aims to dismantle existing barriers between traders and consumers in their search for an out-of-court resolution of contractual disputes arising from online sales and service contracts.
This ODR Regulation for consumers is binding and directly applicable in all Member States and does not need to be transposed into national legislation.
1. This Regulation offers one single point of entry for the entire European
Union through a procedure via an ODR platform:
2. Each trader based in the EU engaging in online sales or service contracts and each online marketplace based in the EU in their relationship with consumers shall:
3. Traders which commit themselves or that are obliged pursuant to statutory or regulatory provisions to use one or more ADR entities to resolve disputes with consumers (e.g. Travel Disputes Committee, Building Conciliation Commission, Federal Ombudsman) shall:
This Regulation should be considered in conjunction with Directive 2013/11/EU of the European
Parliament and of the Council of 21 May 2013 on alternative dispute resolution (ADR) for consumer
disputes that is already transposed into Book XVI of the Belgian Code of Economic Law.
Important note: an out-of-court settlement over the complaint is only possible if all the parties
agree on an ADR entity to handle their dispute. If no agreement is found, the complaint will be
automatically closed and parties will have to seek other means, either by court proceedings.
However, the ODR platform encourages and facilitates a fast and flexible out-of-court resolution of
disputes.
In any event traders must take into account these additional obligations as described above, since
Member States are obliged to provide rules on penalties applicable to infringements of this new
legislation.