Consumer information, right of withdrawal and other consumer rights

Online marketplace. A service using software, including a website, part of a website or an application, operated by or on behalf of a trader that allows consumers to conclude distance contracts with other traders or consumers.

Price personalisation. Where a trader sets different prices for individual consumers or groups of consumers based on an automated analysis of those consumers’ preferences and willingness to pay.

Sales contract. Any contract under which the trader transfers or undertakes to transfer ownership of goods to the consumer, including any contract having as its object both goods and services.

Service contract. Any contract other than a sales contract under which the trader supplies or undertakes to supply a service, including a digital service, to the consumer.

Digital service. It is:

a service that allows the consumer to create, process, store or access data in digital form; or
a service that allows the sharing of or any other interaction with data in digital form uploaded or created by the consumer or other users of that service.

Digital content. Data that are produced and supplied in digital form. Personal data. Any information that relates to an identified or identifiable natural person. Goods. They are:

any physical movable items, including water, gas and electricity when sold in a limited volume or a set quantity;
any physical movable items that incorporate or are interconnected with digital content or a digital service in such a way that the absence of that digital content or digital service would prevent the goods from performing their functions (goods with digital elements).

MAIN DOCUMENTS

Directive 2011/83/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on consumer rights, amending Council Directive 93/13/EEC and Directive 1999/44/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Directive 85/577/EEC and Directive 97/7/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 304, 22.11.2011, pp. 64–88).

Successive amendments to Directive 2011/83/EU have been incorporated into the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.

Directive (EU) 2019/2161 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2019 amending Council Directive 93/13/EEC and Directives 98/6/EC, 2005/29/EC and 2011/83/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the better enforcement and modernisation of Union consumer protection rules (OJ L 328, 18.12.2019, pp. 7–28).

Directive (EU) 2023/2673 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 November 2023 amending Directive 2011/83/EU as regards financial services contracts concluded at a distance and repealing Directive 2002/65/EC (OJ L, 2023/2673, 28.11.2023).

Directive (EU) 2024/825 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 February 2024 amending Directives 2005/29/EC and 2011/83/EU as regards empowering consumers for the green transition through better protection against unfair practices and through better information (OJ L, 2024/825, 6.3.2024).

RELATED DOCUMENTS

Commission notice – Guidance on the interpretation and application of Directive 2011/83/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on consumer rights (OJ C 525, 29.12.2021, pp. 1–85).

Directive (EU) 2019/771 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2019 on certain aspects concerning contracts for the sale of goods, amending Regulation (EU) 2017/2394 and Directive 2009/22/EC, and repealing Directive 1999/44/EC (OJ L 136, 22.5.2019, pp. 28–50).

Directive (EU) 2019/770 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2019 on certain aspects concerning contracts for the supply of digital content and digital services (OJ L 136, 22.5.2019, pp. 1–27).

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council and the European Economic and Social Committee – A New Deal for Consumers (COM(2018) 183 final, 11.4.2018).

Regulation (EU) 2017/2394 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2017 on cooperation between national authorities responsible for the enforcement of consumer protection laws and repealing Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004 (OJ L 345, 27.12.2017, pp. 1–26).

Directive (EU) 2015/2302 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2015 on package travel and linked travel arrangements, amending Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004 and Directive 2011/83/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Directive 90/314/EEC (OJ L 326, 11.12.2015, pp. 1–33).

Directive (EU) 2015/2366 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2015 on payment services in the internal market, amending Directives 2002/65/EC, 2009/110/EC and 2013/36/EU and Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010, and repealing Directive 2007/64/EC (OJ L 337, 23.12.2015, pp. 35–127).

Directive 2008/48/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2008 on credit agreements for consumers and repealing Council Directive 87/102/EEC (OJ L 133, 22.5.2008, pp. 66–92).

Directive 2002/65/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2002 concerning the distance marketing of consumer financial services and amending Council Directive 90/619/EEC and Directives 97/7/EC and 98/27/EC (OJ L 271, 9.10.2002, pp. 16–24).