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EU Directive 2023/2673, in plain language

What it requires from B2C online stores, and how Return Manager for Magento 2 covers each requirement.

Context

Directive (EU) 2023/2673 amends the Consumer Rights Directive (2011/83/EU) to address a recurring problem: consumers who buy online often struggle to actually exercise their 14-day right of withdrawal, because the store makes it deliberately hard to find — a buried email address, a PDF form to print and post, or no clear function at all. The directive requires online interfaces (websites and apps) used for B2C distance contracts to provide a dedicated, easy-to-find "withdrawal function".

This is an EU-wide rule, not a national one. Each member state transposes it into its own law by its own deadline. Italy was the first to do so, via Legislative Decree (D.Lgs.) 209/2025, which amends art. 54-bis of the Consumer Code (Codice del Consumo) and takes effect on 19 June 2026. If you sell into other EU countries, check their own transposition timeline — the underlying directive applies to all of them.

Quick summary

• Online stores must offer a clear, easy-to-find withdrawal function — not just a hidden email address or a PDF form.
• The process must work in two steps: the customer enters their order details, then confirms on a separate, final button.
• The store must send an automatic acknowledgment of receipt, on a durable medium (typically email), with the date and time of the request.
• Minimum information to collect: the customer's name, information identifying the contract (the order number), and the electronic means used to send the confirmation (the email address).

What happens if a store doesn't comply

This part isn't new to the 2023/2673 directive — it has been part of EU consumer law since the original Consumer Rights Directive (2011/83/EU): if a trader fails to properly inform the consumer of their withdrawal right, the ordinary 14-day withdrawal period is extended to 12 months. A missing or hard-to-find withdrawal function makes this extension far more likely to apply in practice.

Requirement → how Return Manager covers it

Requirement	Return Manager
Clear, easy-to-find withdrawal function	A dedicated page with its own URL, placeable anywhere on the site (footer, orders area, CMS page) via a native Magento widget.
Two-step confirmation	The customer enters their details, reviews a summary, then confirms on a separate final button — no accidental one-click submissions.
Minimum data: name, contract reference, confirmation channel	Name, order number and email are mandatory fields, verified against the real order before anything is accepted.
Automatic acknowledgment with date and time, on a durable medium	An automatic email receipt is sent the moment the request is confirmed, with the exact date and time, plus an internal reference number.