ABSTRACT
The European Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) is an electronic case-management tool created by the European Commission under the Regulation No 524/2013. The ODR Regulation provides the legal basis for the establishment of the ODR Platform. The report suggests that the platform is working as incentive for traders to agree a resolution of their disputes outside the ODR Platform. In practice the ‘front-desk’ role of the ODR Platform cuts through the complexity and fragmentation to provide a transparent and a simple way to access dispute resolution services. The European Union ODR Platform was conceived as a result of both the need to resolve disputes in a more efficient way and to enhance consumer confidence for cross-border online shopping. The ODR Platform will provide a familiar ‘front end’ and set of procedures to overcome the challenges of fragmentation of alternative dispute resolution schemes.
