On Friday 24 September, Member States’ ambassadors to the EU (Coreper) will be asked to approve the draft EU Council conclusions on the European Court of Auditors’ special report (15/2021) on air passenger rights in the context of the ongoing health crisis (see EUROPE 12751/10).
Published on 29 June, the EU Court of Auditors’ report underlined that, despite the European Commission’s efforts, airlines had generally failed to comply with the rules on customer reimbursement.
The draft EU Council conclusions underline the unprecedented nature of the crisis, along with its lasting impact on the sector, and invite the European Commission to expediate work on the existing options, thereby improving the current system based on the knowledge acquired over recent months.
The EU Council also wants to focus on more effective coordination between Member States so that customers have better access to up-to-date information on the measures in force in crisis situation.
Furthermore, the document invites the European Commission to examine the different solutions that could be envisaged, following the recommendations of the Court of Auditors, to resolve the problems linked to the insolvency of companies encountered by passengers.
In addition to considering new instruments to better guarantee passengers' rights “in the event of future unforeseen crises, whatever their scale”, the text also calls on the European Commission to address the inequalities concerning the way passengers are treated that still exist across the EU, whereby the level of information provided over their rights remains inconsistent.
See the draft conclusions: https://bit.ly/3Cz0dAY
See the EU Court of Auditors’ special report (in French): https://bit.ly/3vZauTr (Original version in French by Thomas Mangin)