Brussels, 16/10/2015 (Agence Europe) - Cold water was poured on the sector's calls for revision of the Schengen visa in order to provide a boost to tourism at the meeting of the Network for the European private sector in Tourism (NET) with Internal Market and Industry Commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska on Wednesday 14 October.
“The Commission proposal (see EUROPE 11393) is no longer on the agenda. … The situation is in deadlock”, Ewa Grabiak, legal adviser to the European Travel Agents' and Tour Operators' Associations (ECTAA), told EUROPE, stating that the impasse could potentially cost Europe nearly 7 million tourists, particularly from China, India and Russia. Ministers adopted their position at the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council on 8 October, with Europe facing a migration crisis unprecedented since the Second World War. “Deadlocked doesn't mean buried”, another source close to the matter said, however, indicating that discussions will continue in the future.
One of the other points raised by the tourism industry representatives was taxation which, they argued, bears heavily on the sector. Although Commissioner Bienkowska is not directly responsible for tax-related issues, the industry representatives wanted her to work more with the other commissioners to put in place a legal and taxation environment that supports the tourism sector, said Christina Russe, ECTAA assistant general secretary. The annex to the VAT directive (112/2006) allows member states to put in place a reduced rate VAT scheme for some goods and services, including tourist accommodation, food services, event services and passenger transport. At present, only between a third and a half, depending on the areas concerned, of member states make use of this provision, Russe said.
The other matters discussed with the commissioner were the deepening of the single market, on which a strategy will be unveiled in the course of the autumn and, in particular, the single digital market, on which the Commission presented a strategy in May. Training of staff and tourism entrepreneurs, so as to improve the sector's competitiveness and create jobs, was another issue that was broached. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)