Since 20 July 2025, the EU’s online dispute resolution platform (ODR platform) is finally history.
The platform was actually intended to provide a central point of contact for consumers and companies to settle disputes out of court – especially in e-commerce.
However, their use has fallen far short of expectations. For companies in the EU, this now means that a legal obligation no longer applies, but concrete measures are also required to avoid the risk of warnings.
In this article, you will find out what is behind the switch-off, which obligations no longer apply and how you should now adapt your website and legal texts.
Please note that this article does not replace legal advice. You should seek legal advice for all legal questions.
What was the EU ODR platform?
The EU introduced the ODR platform in 2016 on the basis of Regulation (EU) No. 524/2013. The aim was to create a central online contact point where consumers could resolve disputes with online retailers across Europe – quickly, easily and without having to go to court.
Disputes could be submitted via a central complaint form and then forwarded to national arbitration centres. It was free to use, both for consumers and businesses.
In practice, however, the platform was hardly used. Although hundreds of thousands of consumers clicked on the site every year, an EU-wide average of less than 200 complaints per year actually ended up in active arbitration. Many procedures came to nothing, often due to a lack of co-operation on both sides or a lack of referral to a competent national body.
Critics also criticised the lack of user-friendliness and technical hurdles. The goal of a cross-border consumer platform was clearly missed.
These changes affect your website
With the shutdown of the platform, traders are no longer obliged to link to it or provide information about it. Previously, links to the ODR platform were mandatory for almost all operators of online presences – even if they did not offer out-of-court dispute resolution themselves.
This provision applied in particular to:
Many imprints therefore included a sentence like this as standard:
“The European Commission provides a platform for online dispute resolution (ODR): https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/”
From now on, this reference is no longer required – and should also be actively removed. This is because what used to be an obligation could now be seen as anti-competitive:
References to a platform that no longer exists may be considered misleading in terms of competition law (Section 5 UWG). This can result in a warning – even if the reference is well-intentioned.
You should also check your terms and conditions, privacy policy and automated email footer. Many of these texts contain standardised modules with references to the ODR platform. These should also be removed or adapted.
If you work with text templates or use external legal text providers, it is worth carrying out a quick check or an automatic update now.
Checklist: What you should do now to stay legally compliant
Even if there is no obligation – failure to act can have legal consequences. You should therefore take action now at the latest.
Here are the most important measures that you should implement as a company:
Search for passages in the text that refer to the ODR platform. Remove these passages or replace them with a neutral sentence.
If reference is made to the ODR platform in your privacy policy, this section should be removed or adapted accordingly.
Many companies have included information on dispute resolution in automated signatures or order confirmations. These also need to be revised.
If you are on Marketplaces like Amazon, eBay or Etsy, check your seller profile there too. Some platforms require their own information on dispute resolution. Clarify here whether an update is necessary.
If you have ever been involved in proceedings via the ODR platform, you should have backed up your data before switching it off. All content on the platform has been deleted since 20 July 2025.
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Outlook for new dispute resolution mechanisms
Even though the ODR platform has been switched off, the topic of out-of-court dispute resolution remains on the agenda. The EU is planning to replace the previous regulations with a new digital tool. This should be more user-friendly, efficient and transparent for both consumers and companies.
At the same time, a reform of the ADR Directive is being worked on, which should also create better framework conditions for alternative dispute resolution procedures.
This could include, for example, national online centres, AI-supported tools or a new EU-wide portal. However, an exact start date has not yet been set.
Conclusion: Less duty, but no less responsibility
Switching off the EU ODR platform means a little relief for many companies: one less legal notice, one less link in the footer, a clearer privacy policy.
However, from a legal compliance perspective, the obligation to adapt texts should not be underestimated. If you don’t act now, you risk warnings – and possibly signalling to customers that your website is not well maintained or up to date.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions & answers about the OS platform:
The ODR platform (short for online dispute resolution platform) was an online portal of the European Commission designed to help consumers and companies settle disputes out of court – especially in online trading.
Yes, the platform has been permanently offline since 20 July 2025. A reference to the no longer existing page is considered outdated and potentially misleading – and can therefore be warned.
You should remove all links in the legal notice, terms and conditions, footer and email signatures.
This can be risky. An outdated link to the ODR platform could be categorised as anti-competitive – because you are providing information that is no longer correct.
This can lead to warnings, especially in highly competitive markets.
All companies that conclude contracts with consumers online – including service providers with online bookings or requests for quotations – were obliged to link to the OS. The deactivation therefore not only affects shops, but also many service provider websites.
Not at the moment. The EU is planning a new, digitally enhanced system for alternative dispute resolution, but there is no specific start date yet. Until then, the obligation to provide links will no longer apply.
However, the general information obligation under the VSBG remains in place if it applies to your company.
