Alarmed by the extent of the consequences of the bankruptcy of tour operator Thomas Cook for the tourism industry, the holidaymakers affected and employees who have lost their jobs, the European Parliament is calling on the EU and Member States to use all of the instruments available to them to mitigate the impact of this economic and social disaster.
The joint resolution it adopted on Thursday 24 October on the negative impact of Thomas Cook's bankruptcy on EU tourism was adopted at the initiative of the EPP group. The resolution stresses the need to better protect consumers, passengers and employees in the future and to assess the need for further measures to prevent a similar crisis occurring, and calls for a coordinated EU-wide strategy on tourism, with appropriate budgetary support, as this sector accounts for more than 4% of EU GDP and almost 12% of total employment.
Parliament expressed its deep concern about the fate of the 600,000 holidaymakers who were stranded abroad, many of whom had no other means of returning home from their holiday resorts, placing the sector in a state of great legal uncertainty and leaving a considerable number of consumers without protection.
Helping the victims. The Commission was invited to unlock EU financial instruments quickly in order to compensate the sector for the losses suffered and to contribute to improving the sector’s competitiveness, while ensuring a high level of consumer protection.
The European Parliament called on the governments of the Member States affected by Thomas Cook's bankruptcy to use the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund to help employees who have lost their jobs, and companies, especially SMEs. The Commission should process these applications for funds as soon as possible.
The Commission and Member States should ensure that affected employees are guaranteed their wages and pensions, say MEPs.
To strengthen consumer protection in the event of bankruptcy, either guarantee funds or company insurance contracts should be included in the rules on European passenger rights, which are currently being revised.
MEPs also want the Commission to present a proposal on workers' rights to information and consultation and on anticipating and managing restructuring.
Being prepared
Parliament called on the Commission to assess how European and national legislation made it possible to manage this massive rescue operation and how it could intervene quickly and effectively in similar cases in the future.
The competent authorities were invited to analyse the reasons for Thomas Cook's bankruptcy, when the company's negative financial situation was already known to the United Kingdom authorities.
The European Parliament invited the Commission to consider revising Regulation (EC) No 1008/2008 to allow the authorities to better monitor and check airlines' financial statements and to react in critical situations. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)