End of the ODR platform: What online retailers need to know now

Since 2016, the EU's Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) platform has been a central point of access for consumers and businesses to settle disputes arising from online purchase and service contracts out of court. Under Article 14 of the ODR Regulation (Regulation (EU) No 524/2013), online retailers were required to provide a link to the ODR platform on their websites or in their terms and conditions. 

However, this option for online dispute resolution was not taken up in practice. As only around 200 cases were referred to arbitration bodies across the EU each year, the platform was shut down. Regulation (EU) No. 2024/3228 repealed the ODR Regulation on 20 July 2025, thereby removing the obligation to provide a link to the platform.

What does this mean for online retailers?

The link to the ODR platform should be removed. Although it is questionable whether such an outdated reference to the no longer existing ODR platform constitutes misinformation relevant to warnings under unfair competition law (UWG), we strongly recommend revising the relevant provisions on out-of-court dispute resolution and any other contractual documents, such as general terms and conditions, in which the reference appears. Companies must continue to indicate, on the basis of the ADR Directive and the Consumer Dispute Resolution Act, whether they are willing to participate in arbitration proceedings and, if so, name the competent consumer arbitration body.

The discontinuation of the ODR platform due to its lack of efficiency is likely only the beginning. In the future, a reform of the regulations on alternative dispute resolution is to be expected, with the aim of adapting them to the ongoing digitalisation of the market and further strengthening consumer rights. It can be assumed that new, more efficient online tools for dispute resolution will be developed and established.