EU Online Dispute Regulation Platform discontinued!

The EU Online Dispute Resolution Platform (ODR Platform) was set up in 2016 under the Regulation (EU) No 524/2013 (Regulation), as an alternative route to court for disputes arising from online sales or service contracts.

Consumers and traders were offered solutions such as the opportunity for direct negotiations and/or resolution through an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) body. Surprisingly, however, both consumer use and trader engagement have been low – only an average of 200 cases per year were forwarded to an ADR body, which is just 2% of complaints submitted across the EU.

This lack of interest has led the EU to discontinue the service from 20 July 2025, with no new complaints being accepted from 20 March 2025. Instead, a new “digital interactive tool” has been proposed to replace the ODR Platform as part of the revisions to the ADR Directive (2013/11/EU) which is currently being negotiated.

Action Point!

Businesses should now remove any references to the ODR Platform (previously required under the Regulation) in their standard terms of purchase and/or websites, including hyperlinks to the ODR Platform website.

Spring 2025