They might be getting mixed up with the “close door” button, which is something always included because it makes people feel better but when you order the elevator you can choose whether it actually does anything or not
In the US the door close button is required to work in "fire service" mode, so that's why the button is always there.
Outside of fire service the button most likely will work, just that it can't override the minimum open door delay mandated by the ADA, so it feels like it doesn't work. You may be able to trick the logic into disregarding the timer by pressing door open and door close immediately.
In Europe, there is no "fire service" mode that I know of, so the button isn't always there. But if it is, it basically always works and doesn't have a minimum delay.
I've definitely seen this not be the case, though it is probably in elevators older than the ADA. I lived in a building where selecting a floor or using the "Close Door" button immediately began closing the door. Some hotels as well.