legal-impressum-eu

name	legal-impressum-eu
description	EU-wide Impressum requirements under eCommerce Directive 2000/31/EC. Country-by-country compliance matrix.
version	1.0.0
triggers	["impressum eu","ecommerce directive","eu legal notice","european union imprint"]

EU Impressum Requirements

Jurisdiction: European Union (27 Member States)

Related Skills:

• SKILL.md - Austrian requirements (main skill)
• SKILL-GERMANY.md - German requirements
• SKILL-WORLD.md - International requirements

This skill covers EU-wide legal notice requirements based on the eCommerce Directive.

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1. Legal Framework

Primary EU Legislation

Directive/Regulation	Article	Scope
eCommerce Directive 2000/31/EC	Art. 5	Information requirements
Digital Services Act (DSA)	Various	Platform transparency
GDPR	Art. 13-14	Privacy notices
Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU	Art. 6	B2C online sales
ODR Regulation 524/2013	Art. 14	Dispute resolution link
Services Directive 2006/123/EC	Art. 22	Service provider info

eCommerce Directive Art. 5 Requirements

All EU member states must ensure service providers make available:

Field	Description
Name	Full name or business name
Address	Geographic address (establishment)
Email	Electronic contact details
Trade register	Registration number if applicable
Regulatory authority	If subject to authorization
VAT ID	If VAT registered
Professional body	For regulated professions
Professional title	And member state where granted
Professional rules	Reference and means of access
Prices	Clear indication including taxes

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2. Country-by-Country Requirements

Comparison Matrix

Country	National Law	Key Differences
Austria	§ 5 ECG	+ MedienG Offenlegung for media
Germany	§ 5 DDG	+ MStV for journalistic content
France	LCEN Art. 6-III	+ Publication director (directeur)
Italy	D.Lgs. 70/2003 Art. 7	+ Chamber of commerce registration
Spain	LSSI Art. 10	+ Geographic coordinates optional
Netherlands	Art. 3:15d BW	+ Chamber of commerce number
Belgium	Art. XII.6 WER	+ Enterprise number (BCE)
Poland	Art. 18 UŚUDE	+ NIP and REGON numbers
Sweden	Lag 2002:562	Relatively minimal requirements
Ireland	SI 68/2003	+ Company registration office

Detailed Country Notes

France (LCEN)

Additional requirements:

• Directeur de publication (publication director) - mandatory
• Hébergeur (hosting provider) contact details
• Capital social for companies

Mentions légales

Éditeur:
Exemple SARL
123 Rue de l'Exemple
75001 Paris

Directeur de la publication:
Jean Dupont

Hébergeur:
OVH SAS
2 rue Kellermann
59100 Roubaix

Italy

Additional requirements:

• Codice fiscale (tax code)
• Partita IVA (VAT number)
• REA number (chamber of commerce)
• Capitale sociale (share capital) + "i.v." or "n.i.v."

Netherlands

Additional requirements:

• KvK-nummer (Chamber of Commerce number)
• BTW-nummer (VAT number)

Belgium

Additional requirements:

• Ondernemingsnummer/Numéro d'entreprise (BCE/KBO number)
• BTW/TVA nummer

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3. VAT Requirements

When VAT ID is Required

Scenario	VAT ID Required
Registered for VAT	Yes
Intra-EU B2B sales	Yes
B2C cross-border sales	Yes (if VAT registered)
Below VAT threshold, domestic only	Optional

One-Stop Shop (OSS)

For B2C cross-border digital services:

• Registration in one EU country
• Report and pay VAT for all EU sales
• Display VAT ID on website

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4. ODR (Online Dispute Resolution)

Requirement (Regulation 524/2013)

For B2C online sales, traders must:

1. Provide link to EU ODR platform
2. Display prominently on website
3. Include if email is used for contracts

Template Text

Online Dispute Resolution

The European Commission provides a platform for online dispute resolution (ODR):
https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/

Our email address: [[e-mail]]

When NOT Required

• B2B only websites
• Offline-only businesses
• Information-only websites (no sales)

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5. Cross-Border Compliance

Country of Origin Principle

Under eCommerce Directive Art. 3:

• Comply primarily with your establishment country's laws
• Target country can impose additional requirements in specific areas

Multi-Country Strategy

For websites serving multiple EU countries:

1. Minimum: Comply with establishment country
2. Recommended: Cover strictest requirements (DE/AT)
3. Best practice: Country-specific legal notices

Language Requirements

Approach	Description
Local language	Required in some countries (France, Spain)
English fallback	Acceptable for B2B, risky for B2C
Multi-language	Best for consumer-facing sites

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6. Sector-Specific Requirements

Financial Services

• MiFID II disclosure requirements
• PSD2 payment service provider info
• IDD insurance distribution info

Healthcare

• Pharmacy registration
• Medical device CE marking
• Health professional registration

Legal/Accounting

• Professional body membership
• Insurance details (often required)
• Jurisdiction of qualification

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7. EU Template (Comprehensive)

LEGAL NOTICE / IMPRESSUM

Company Information:
[Company Name] [Legal Form]
[Street Address]
[Postal Code] [City]
[Country]

Contact:
Phone: [+XX XXX XXX XXX]
Email: [[e-mail]]

Registration:
Commercial Register: [Court/Authority]
Registration Number: [Number]
VAT ID: [XXXXXXXXXXXX]

Representatives:
Managing Director(s): [Name(s)]

[For regulated professions:]
Professional Body: [Chamber/Association]
Professional Title: [Title, Member State of grant]
Professional Regulations: [Reference, access link]

[For media content:]
Responsible for Content: [Name, Address]
Editorial Direction: [Statement]

Online Dispute Resolution:
The European Commission provides a platform for online dispute resolution (ODR):
https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/

Privacy:
See our Privacy Policy: [Link]

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8. Brexit Impact (UK)

Since January 2021:

• UK no longer under eCommerce Directive
• EU websites need separate UK compliance
• See SKILL-WORLD.md for UK requirements

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9. Compliance Checklist (EU-Wide)

Minimum (Art. 5 eCommerce Directive)

• Business/owner name
• Geographic address
• Email address
• Trade/commercial register (if applicable)
• VAT ID (if applicable)
• Regulatory authority (if applicable)
• Professional body + rules (if regulated)

B2C Online Sales (Additional)

• ODR platform link
• Clear pricing including VAT
• Consumer rights information (withdrawal, etc.)

GDPR (All)

• Privacy notice link
• Cookie consent mechanism

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10. Resources

• EUR-Lex (EU law): https://eur-lex.europa.eu/
• EU ODR Platform: https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/
• Your Europe Business: https://europa.eu/youreurope/business/
• ECC-Net (Consumer disputes): https://ec.europa.eu/info/ecc-net

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Credits & Attribution

This skill is part of the webconsulting.at skills collection.

Sources: EUR-Lex, European Commission, national implementations