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keyboard_tab REGIS - Reg. Intermediation Services 2019/1150 EN

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2019/1150 EN cercato: 'including' . Output generated live by software developed by IusOnDemand srl




whereas including:


definitions:


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Article 2

Definitions

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply:

(1)

‘business user’ means any private individual acting in a commercial or professional capacity who, or any legal person which, through online_intermediation_services offers goods or services to consumers for purposes relating to its trade, business, craft or profession;

(2)

‘online intermediation services’ means services which meet all of the following requirements:

(a)

they constitute information society services within the meaning of point (b) of Article 1(1) of Directive (EU) 2015/1535 of the European Parliament and of the Council (12);

(b)

they allow business_users to offer goods or services to consumers, with a view to facilitating the initiating of direct transactions between those business_users and consumers, irrespective of where those transactions are ultimately concluded;

(c)

they are provided to business_users on the basis of contractual relationships between the provider of those services and business_users which offer goods or services to consumers;

(3)

‘provider of online_intermediation_services’ means any natural or legal person which provides, or which offers to provide, online_intermediation_services to business_users;

(4)

‘consumer’ means any natural person who is acting for purposes which are outside this person’s trade, business, craft or profession;

(5)

‘online search engine’ means a digital service that allows users to input queries in order to perform searches of, in principle, all websites, or all websites in a particular language, on the basis of a query on any subject in the form of a keyword, voice request, phrase or other input, and returns results in any format in which information related to the requested content can be found;

(6)

‘provider of online_search_engine’ means any natural or legal person which provides, or which offers to provide, online_search_engines to consumers;

(7)

‘corporate website user’ means any natural or legal person which uses an online interface, meaning any software, including a website or a part thereof and applications, including mobile applications, to offer goods or services to consumers for purposes relating to its trade, business, craft or profession;

(8)

‘ranking’ means the relative prominence given to the goods or services offered through online_intermediation_services, or the relevance given to search results by online_search_engines, as presented, organised or communicated by the providers of online_intermediation_services or by providers of online_search_engines, respectively, irrespective of the technological means used for such presentation, organisation or communication;

(9)

‘control’ means ownership of, or the ability to exercise decisive influence over, an undertaking, within the meaning of Article 3(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (13);

(10)

‘terms and conditions’ means all terms_and_conditions or specifications, irrespective of their name or form, which govern the contractual relationship between the provider of online_intermediation_services and its business_users and are unilaterally determined by the provider of online_intermediation_services, that unilateral determination being evaluated on the basis of an overall assessment, for which the relative size of the parties concerned, the fact that a negotiation took place, or that certain provisions thereof might have been subject to such a negotiation and determined together by the relevant provider and business_user is not, in itself, decisive;

(11)

‘ancillary goods and services’ means goods and services offered to the consumer prior to the completion of a transaction initiated on the online_intermediation_services in addition to and complementary to the primary good or service offered by the business_user through the online_intermediation_services;

(12)

‘mediation’ means any structured process as defined in point (a) of Article 3 of Directive 2008/52/EC;

(13)

‘durable medium’ means any instrument which enables business_users to store information addressed personally to them in a way accessible for future reference and for a period of time adequate for the purposes of the information and allows the unchanged reproduction of the information stored.

Article 3

Terms and conditions

1.   Providers of online_intermediation_services shall ensure that their terms_and_conditions:

(a)

are drafted in plain and intelligible language;

(b)

are easily available to business_users at all stages of their commercial relationship with the provider of online_intermediation_services, including in the pre-contractual stage;

(c)

set out the grounds for decisions to suspend or terminate or impose any other kind of restriction upon, in whole or in part, the provision of their online_intermediation_services to business_users;

(d)

include information on any additional distribution channels and potential affiliate programmes through which providers of online_intermediation_services might market goods and services offered by business_users;

(e)

include general information regarding the effects of the terms_and_conditions on the ownership and control of intellectual property rights of business_users.

2.   Providers of online_intermediation_services shall notify, on a durable_medium, to the business_users concerned any proposed changes of their terms_and_conditions.

The proposed changes shall not be implemented before the expiry of a notice period which is reasonable and proportionate to the nature and extent of the envisaged changes and to their consequences for the business_user concerned. That notice period shall be at least 15 days from the date on which the provider of online_intermediation_services notifies the business_users concerned about the proposed changes. Providers of online_intermediation_services shall grant longer notice periods when this is necessary to allow business_users to make technical or commercial adaptations to comply with the changes.

The business_user concerned shall have the right to terminate the contract with the provider of online_intermediation_services before the expiry of the notice period. Such termination shall take effect within 15 days from the receipt of the notice pursuant to the first subparagraph, unless a shorter period applies to the contract.

The business_user concerned may, either by means of a written statement or a clear affirmative action, waive the notice period referred to in the second subparagraph at any moment from the receipt of the notice pursuant to the first subparagraph.

During the notice period, submitting new goods or services to the online_intermediation_services shall be considered clear affirmative action to waive the notice period, except in cases where the reasonable and proportionate notice period is longer than 15 days because the changes to the terms_and_conditions require the business_user to make significant technical adjustments to its goods or services. In such cases, the notice period shall not be considered automatically to be waived where the business_user submits new goods and services.

3.   Terms and conditions, or specific provisions thereof, which do not comply with the requirements of paragraph 1, as well as changes to terms_and_conditions implemented by a provider of online_intermediation_services contrary to the provisions of paragraph 2 shall be null and void.

4.   The notice period set out in the second subparagraph of paragraph 2 shall not apply where a provider of online_intermediation_services:

(a)

is subject to a legal or regulatory obligation which requires it to change its terms_and_conditions in a manner which does not allow it to respect the notice period referred to in the second subparagraph of paragraph 2;

(b)

has exceptionally to change its terms_and_conditions to address an unforeseen and imminent danger related to defending the online_intermediation_services, consumers or business_users from fraud, malware, spam, data breaches or other cybersecurity risks.

5.   Providers of online_intermediation_services shall ensure that the identity of the business_user providing the goods or services on the online_intermediation_services is clearly visible.

Article 4

Restriction, suspension and termination

1.   Where a provider of online_intermediation_services decides to restrict or suspend the provision of its online_intermediation_services to a given business_user in relation to individual goods or services offered by that business_user, it shall provide the business_user concerned, prior to or at the time of the restriction or suspension taking effect, with a statement of reasons for that decision on a durable_medium.

2.   Where a provider of online_intermediation_services decides to terminate the provision of the whole of its online_intermediation_services to a given business_user, it shall provide the business_user concerned, at least 30 days prior to the termination taking effect, with a statement of reasons for that decision on a durable_medium.

3.   In the case of restriction, suspension or termination, the provider of online_intermediation_services shall give the business_user the opportunity to clarify the facts and circumstances in the framework of the internal complaint-handling process referred to in Article 11. Where the restriction, suspension or termination is revoked by the provider of online_intermediation_services, it shall reinstate the business_user without undue delay, including providing the business_user with any access to personal or other data, or both, that resulted from its use of the relevant online_intermediation_services prior to the restriction, suspension or termination having taken effect.

4.   The notice period in paragraph 2 shall not apply where a provider of online_intermediation_services:

(a)

is subject to a legal or regulatory obligation which requires it to terminate the provision of the whole of its online_intermediation_services to a given business_user in a manner which does not allow it to respect that notice period; or

(b)

exercises a right of termination under an imperative reason pursuant to national law which is in compliance with Union law;

(c)

can demonstrate that the business_user concerned has repeatedly infringed the applicable terms_and_conditions, resulting in the termination of the provision of the whole of the online_intermediation_services in question.

In cases where the notice period in paragraph 2 does not apply, the provider of online_intermediation_services shall provide the business_user concerned, without undue delay, with a statement of reasons for that decision on a durable_medium.

5.   The statement of reasons referred to in paragraphs 1, and 2 and in the second subparagraph of paragraph 4 shall contain a reference to the specific facts or circumstances, including contents of third party notifications, that led to the decision of the provider of online_intermediation_services, as well as a reference to the applicable grounds for that decision referred to in point (c) of Article 3(1).

A provider of online_intermediation_services does not have to provide a statement of reasons where it is subject to a legal or regulatory obligation not to provide the specific facts or circumstances or the reference to the applicable ground or grounds, or where a provider of online_intermediation_services can demonstrate that the business_user concerned has repeatedly infringed the applicable terms_and_conditions, resulting in termination of the provision of the whole of the online_intermediation_services in question.

Article 6

Ancillary goods and services

Where ancillary_goods_and_services, including financial products, are offered to consumers through the online_intermediation_services, either by the provider of online_intermediation_services or by third parties, the provider of online_intermediation_services shall set out in its terms_and_conditions a description of the type of ancillary_goods_and_services offered and a description of whether and under which conditions the business_user is also allowed to offer its own ancillary_goods_and_services through the online_intermediation_services.

Article 9

Access to data

1.   Providers of online_intermediation_services shall include in their terms_and_conditions a description of the technical and contractual access, or absence thereof, of business_users to any personal data or other data, or both, which business_users or consumers provide for the use of the online_intermediation_services concerned or which are generated through the provision of those services.

2.   Through the description referred to in paragraph 1, providers of online_intermediation_services shall adequately inform business_users in particular of the following:

(a)

whether the provider of online_intermediation_services has access to personal data or other data, or both, which business_users or consumers provide for the use of those services or which are generated through the provision of those services, and if so, to which categories of such data and under what conditions;

(b)

whether a business_user has access to personal data or other data, or both, provided by that business_user in connection to the business_user’s use of the online_intermediation_services concerned or generated through the provision of those services to that business_user and the consumers of the business_user’s goods or services, and if so, to which categories of such data and under what conditions;

(c)

in addition to point (b), whether a business_user has access to personal data or other data, or both, including in aggregated form, provided by or generated through the provision of the online_intermediation_services to all of the business_users and consumers thereof, and if so, to which categories of such data and under what conditions; and

(d)

whether any data under point (a) is provided to third parties, along with, where the provision of such data to third parties is not necessary for the proper functioning of the online_intermediation_services, information specifying the purpose of such data sharing, as well as possibilities for business_users to opt out from that data sharing.

3.   This Article shall be without prejudice to the application of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, Directive (EU) 2016/680 and Directive 2002/58/EC.

Article 12

Mediation

1.   Providers of online_intermediation_services shall identify in their terms_and_conditions two or more mediators with which they are willing to engage to attempt to reach an agreement with business_users on the settlement, out of court, of any disputes between the provider and the business_user arising in relation to the provision of the online_intermediation_services concerned, including complaints that could not be resolved by means of the internal complaint-handling system referred to in Article 11.

Providers of online_intermediation_services may only identify mediators providing their mediation services from a location outside the Union where it is ensured that the business_users concerned are not effectively deprived of the benefit of any legal safeguards laid down in Union law or the law of the Member States as a consequence of the mediators providing those services from outside the Union.

2.   The mediators referred to in paragraph 1 shall meet the following requirements:

(a)

they are impartial and independent;

(b)

their mediation services are affordable for business_users of the online_intermediation_services concerned;

(c)

they are capable of providing their mediation services in the language of the terms_and_conditions which govern the contractual relationship between the provider of online_intermediation_services and the business_user concerned;

(d)

they are easily accessible either physically in the place of establishment or residence of the business_user, or remotely using communication technologies;

(e)

they are capable of providing their mediation services without undue delay;

(f)

they have a sufficient understanding of general business-to-business commercial relations, allowing them to contribute effectively to the attempt to settle the disputes.

3.   Notwithstanding the voluntary nature of mediation, providers of online_intermediation_services and business_users shall engage in good faith throughout any mediation attempts conducted pursuant to this Article.

4.   Providers of online_intermediation_services shall bear a reasonable proportion of the total costs of mediation in each individual case. A reasonable proportion of those total costs shall be determined, on the basis of a suggestion by the mediator, by taking into account all relevant elements of the case at hand, in particular the relative merits of the claims of the parties to the dispute, the conduct of the parties, as well as the size and financial strength of the parties relative to one another.

5.   Any attempt to reach an agreement through mediation on the settlement of a dispute in accordance with this Article shall not affect the rights of the providers of online_intermediation_services and of the business_users concerned to initiate judicial proceedings at any time before, during or after the mediation process.

6.   If requested by a business_user, before entering into or during mediation, the provider of online_intermediation_services shall make available, to the business_user, information on the functioning and effectiveness of mediation related to its activities.

7.   The obligation set out in paragraph 1 shall not apply to providers of online_intermediation_services that are small enterprises within the meaning of the Annex to Recommendation 2003/361/EC.

Article 16

Monitoring

The Commission, in close cooperation with Member States, shall closely monitor the impact of this Regulation on relationships between online_intermediation_services and their business_users and between online_search_engines and corporate_website_users. To this end, the Commission shall gather relevant information to monitor changes in these relationships, including by carrying out relevant studies. Member States shall assist the Commission by providing, upon request, any relevant information gathered including about specific cases. The Commission may, for the purpose of this Article and Article 18, seek to gather information from providers of online_intermediation_services.

Article 17

Codes of conduct

1.   The Commission shall encourage the drawing up of codes of conduct by providers of online_intermediation_services and by organisations and associations representing them, together with business_users, including SMEs and their representative organisations, that are intended to contribute to the proper application of this Regulation, taking account of the specific features of the various sectors in which online_intermediation_services are provided, as well as of the specific characteristics of SMEs.

2.   The Commission shall encourage providers of online_search_engines and organisations and associations representing them to draw up codes of conduct that are specifically intended to contribute to the proper application of Article 5.

3.   The Commission shall encourage the providers of online_intermediation_services to adopt and implement sector-specific codes of conduct, where such sector-specific codes of conduct exist and are widely used.

Article 18

Review

1.   By 13 January 2022, and subsequently every three years, the Commission shall evaluate this Regulation and report to the European Parliament, the Council and the European Economic and Social Committee.

2.   The first evaluation of this Regulation shall be carried out, in particular, with a view to the following:

(a)

assessing the compliance with, and impact on the online platform economy of, the obligations laid down in Articles 3 to 10;

(b)

assessing the impact and effectiveness of any established codes of conduct to improve fairness and transparency;

(c)

investigating further the problems caused by the dependence of business_users on online_intermediation_services, and problems caused by unfair commercial practices by providers of online_intermediation_services, and to determine further to which extent those practices continue to be widespread;

(d)

investigating whether the competition between goods or services offered by a business_user and goods or services offered or controlled by a provider of online_intermediation_services constitutes fair competition and whether providers of online_intermediation_services misuse privileged data in this regard;

(e)

assessing the effect of this Regulation on any possible imbalances in the relationships between providers of operating systems and their business_users;

(f)

assessing whether the scope of the Regulation, especially as regards the definition of ‘business user’, is suitable in that it does not encourage bogus self-employment.

The first and subsequent evaluations shall establish whether additional rules, including regarding enforcement, may be required to ensure a fair, predictable, sustainable and trusted online business environment within the internal market. Following the evaluations, the Commission shall take appropriate measures, which may include legislative proposals.

3.   Member States shall provide any relevant information they have that the Commission may require for the purposes of drawing up the report referred to in paragraph 1.

4.   In carrying out the evaluation of this Regulation, the Commission shall take into account inter alia, the opinions and reports presented to it by the group of experts for the Observatory on the Online Platform Economy. It shall also take into account the content and functioning of any codes of conduct referred to in Article 17, where appropriate.


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