E-commerce Directive (2000/31/EC)

Status: The Directive is adopted and in force since 17^th of July 2000.

EUR-Lex-link: Consolidated version can be found here.

Full name: Directive 2000/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2000 on certain legal aspects of information society services, in particular electronic commerce, in the Internal Market (‘Directive on electronic commerce’).

Type: Directive.

Objective and key elements:

• Establishes a harmonized framework in the EU on various issues related to electronic commerce.
• Introduces requirements on provision of information for providers of information society services, such as online platforms selling goods or services and online content services, e.g., on-demand video services. Furthermore, introduces regulation on e.g., commercial communication such as advertising, unsolicited communication by electronic mail and electronic contracts.

Relevant to: Information society service providers, e.g., providers of e-commerce websites.

Notable amendments:

Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 on a Single Market For Digital Services (DSA).