Obligation to refer to online dispute resolution from 09.01.2016
According to Art. 14 of the Regulation on "Online Dispute Resolution in Consumer Matters" (EU Regulation No. 524/2013), store operators must add a link to the official online dispute resolution platform "easily accessible to consumers". Where the link must be inserted in order to be "easily accessible" is still unclear. Many suggest the legal notice. However, it remains to be seen whether this will be perceived as "easily accessible" by consumers. The general terms and conditions are also mentioned by some as a possible location.
The official platform for online dispute resolution has not yet been completed. Nevertheless, there is an obligation to provide links from 09.01.2016. The platform should be available from 15.02.2016.
The link to be inserted is: http: //ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/
The link text is not directly specified. It can be thought of as: "Dispute resolution: Platform for online dispute resolution (OS) of the European Commission(http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/)". Due to the exact link text, further developments in practice should be closely monitored.
Date: 8. Jan 2016