Brussels, 18/09/2015 (Agence Europe) - Consumers' rights in the digital age will be better protected with the new legislation of the EU on package travel and certain assisted travel services, which was formally adopted on Friday 18 September.
The Council formally adopted the new European directive on this subject at first reading. The text was adopted by qualified majority, without debate, on the sidelines of the meeting of the environment ministers, in Brussels.
This directive aims to clarify and modernise the protection available to travellers purchasing travel combinations for a single trip or holiday, by including various package services purchased online in its scope of application.
It also aims to bring European legislation into line with the digital age, to provide consumers with better information about the services they are buying and ensure they have more accessible means of recourse in the event of any problems, without excessively increasing the bureaucratic burden on business (see EUROPE 11323).
The new directive modifies regulation 2006/2004 and directive 2011/83/EU, and cancels directive 90/314/EEC. Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Ireland, Malta, the Netherlands and Slovakia voted against. (Aminata Niang)