Strasbourg, 12/03/2013 (Agence Europe) - Air passenger rights should be clarified and strengthened according to a Commission proposal to be presented on Wednesday 13 March. Given the accumulation of EU Court of Justice rulings relating to Regulation 261/2004 on air passenger rights, the Commission has moved to redefine the legislation.
According to the Commission, the revision will be based on lessons learned over the eight to nine years during which the regulation has been in effect. This is, in particular, the case with regard to the air crisis of 2011 after the Eyjafjallajikul volcanic eruption in Iceland, and the Sturgeon case handled by the Court of Justice pertaining to compensation paid out in the event of flight delays.
The imminent legislative proposal should therefore clarify the grey zones of Regulation 261/2004, especially with regard to the right to information and the definition of exceptional circumstances. It could also, however, propose new rights for air passengers, addressing issues such as misspelt names and lost luggage. The Commission also hopes to ensure better follow-up to complaints by imposing a minimum timeframe in which they must be tackled. Furthermore, the Commission is likely to include a number of financial limitations on compensation.
It is not certain, however, that such provisions will meet with the full approval of airlines that might take a dim view of new rules to the advantage of passengers. The aviation sector fears above all that the Commission's provisions could be detrimental to the interline service. This is cooperation between airline companies allowing customers to book several flights on one and the same ticket. The Commission may call on airlines to pay compensation for passenger delays resulting from time lost by a third company during the first part of the journey.
On the other hand, revision proposed by the Commission does not provide for single luggage rules to be harmonised or for action against tariff practices lacking in transparency during online reservations. The European Parliament has, however, made that request repeatedly in various reports and resolutions adopted over recent years. (MD/transl.jl)