Directive 2013/11/EU of the European Parliament and of the CouncilShow full title

Article 4 Definitions

1. For the purposes of this Directive:

(a) ‘consumer’ means any natural person who is acting for purposes which are outside his trade, business, craft or profession;

(b) ‘trader’ means any natural persons, or any legal person irrespective of whether privately or publicly owned, who is acting, including through any person acting in his name or on his behalf, for purposes relating to his trade, business, craft or profession;

(c) ‘sales contract’ means any contract under which the trader transfers or undertakes to transfer the ownership of goods to the consumer and the consumer pays or undertakes to pay the price thereof, including any contract having as its object both goods and services;

(d) ‘service contract’ means any contract other than a sales contract under which the trader supplies or undertakes to supply a service to the consumer and the consumer pays or undertakes to pay the price thereof;

(e) ‘domestic dispute’ means a contractual dispute arising from a sales or service contract where, at the time the consumer orders the goods or services, the consumer is resident in the same Member State as that in which the trader is established;

(f) ‘cross-border dispute’ means a contractual dispute arising from a sales or service contract where, at the time the consumer orders the goods or services, the consumer is resident in a Member State other than the Member State in which the trader is established;

(g) ‘ADR procedure’ means a procedure, as referred to in Article 2, which complies with the requirements set out in this Directive and is carried out by an ADR entity;

(h) ‘ADR entity’ means any entity, however named or referred to, which is established on a durable basis and offers the resolution of a dispute through an ADR procedure and that is listed in accordance with Article 20(2);

(i) ‘competent authority’ means any public authority designated by a Member State for the purposes of this Directive and established at national, regional or local level.

2. A trader is established:

• if the trader is a natural person, where he has his place of business,

• if the trader is a company or other legal person or association of natural or legal persons, where it has its statutory seat, central administration or place of business, including a branch, agency or any other establishment.

3. An ADR entity is established:

• if it is operated by a natural person, at the place where it carries out ADR activities,

• if the entity is operated by a legal person or association of natural or legal persons, at the place where that legal person or association of natural or legal persons carries out ADR activities or has its statutory seat,

• if it is operated by an authority or other public body, at the place where that authority or other public body has its seat.