P2B: fair rules for business users

The P2B Regulation governs the relationship between providers of online intermediation services and business users offering goods or services to consumers in the EU. It protects business users in their dealings with the platform operator. As of the date of this guide, it remains in force; planned EU simplifications should be monitored, but not treated as enacted law.

Seller terms and conditions must explain#

• conditions for acceptance, restriction, suspension, and termination of cooperation;
• main parameters of ranking, their relative importance, and the influence of payments;
• differences in the treatment of the operator's own offers and those of other sellers;
• what data the seller has access to during and after the contract, and whether the operator shares data with third parties;
• rights to descriptions, images, trademarks, and other content of the seller;
• additional services, fees, commissions, and payment terms;
• complaint/appeal process and mediators, if the obligation applies;
• consequences of contract termination and access to data export.

Change of terms and conditions#

Changes are communicated on a durable medium at least 15 days in advance. The deadline must be longer if the seller requires technical or business adaptation. Exceptions include urgent legal obligations or unforeseen security risks. Do not apply changes retroactively unless permitted by law.

The platform stores each version, sending date, recipients, effective date, and content of the communication.

Restriction, suspension, and termination#

• Restriction or suspension requires a specific justification on a durable medium before or at the time of action, depending on the situation.
• Complete termination of service generally requires justification at least 30 days in advance.
• Exceptions allow immediate action, including for legal obligations, urgent risks, or repeated infringements, but the reason must still be documented and communicated to the extent permitted.
• The seller must have a real opportunity to explain the situation and regain access after resolving the issue, provided the law and safety permit.

Complaints and mediators#

The obligation to provide an internal complaint-handling system and identify at least two mediators does not apply to small enterprises as defined by the P2B Regulation. Medium-sized operators should have these elements. A small operator may implement them earlier as good practice but should not mistakenly claim an exemption solely because the marketplace is small - the enterprise's status is what matters.

Basis and sources: P2B - Regulation (EU) 2019/1150; European Commission - platform-to-business trading practices.