Alex Agius Saliba MEP (S&D, Maltese), rapporteur for the revision of the Package Travel Directive, was very optimistic about the finalisation of negotiations, on Thursday 16 October, before the European Parliament’s Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO).
“We are aiming to conclude a deal in the second dialogue on 11 November, but if we can do so will depend on the progress that we can make in the coming weeks”, he announced. Interinstitutional negotiations (trilogues) began on Wednesday 24 September, shortly after Parliament approved its position (see EUROPE 13707/3). The rapporteur explained that numerous technical meetings are taking place to clarify and deal with certain aspects.
According to a European source contacted by Agence Europe on Friday 17 October, the negotiators are discussing, among other things, the definition of ‘package’, in particular the 24-hour between two bookings rule. The Council does not want it to be too detailed, so that the Directive is not too complicated to apply.
The co-legislators have also addressed the issue of advance payments. Some Member States fear that this will increase the price of packages and harm the competitiveness of travel agencies. The European Commission has indicated that it is possible to add flexibility to the text.
They have also dealt with the termination of travel contracts, and adhere to the case law of the Court of Justice of the EU. Finally, they have mentioned the time taken to reimburse in the event of bankruptcy, i.e. the time between the start of a trip and the announcement of a prior bankruptcy. (Original version in French by Anne Damiani)