The Council of the European Union (EU) and the European Parliament reached an agreement this Wednesday, 3rd, to update the rules for the protection of travelers with holiday packages, after “lessons learned during the pandemic” of covid-19 and bankruptcies in the sector.
The information was announced by the institutions in a statement, after, this morning, negotiators from the countries and MEPs reached consensus on a proposed law that “clarifies the definition of a travel package, the conditions for canceling a trip and the rights of travelers to information, assistance and reimbursement in various situations, including when the travel operator goes bankrupt or when extraordinary circumstances cause disruptions to travel”.
The new rules should facilitate the identification of combinations of travel services that constitute a package and that, therefore, are covered by the protection included in this law.
At the same time, the updated directive also includes detailed provisions on the use of vouchers, which have become common during Covid-19, and which do not have to be accepted by consumers.
Furthermore, if the travel organizer goes bankrupt, customers must receive a refund for canceled services from insolvency guarantee funds within six months or, in exceptional cases, nine months.
It was also agreed to establish a clear complaints handling mechanism, ensuring that reported problems are dealt with reasonably quickly, within seven days to acknowledge receipt of the complaint and 60 days for a reasoned response.
The co-legislators decided not to harmonize the level of penalties for infractions in the new rules and not to limit the level of prepayments, but Member States that wish can do so themselves.
The agreement will now have to be formally approved by the European Parliament and the Council early next year before it comes into force.
EU countries will then have 28 months to adapt their laws to the new rules and a further six months to start applying the new provisions.
The review comes after, during the Covid-19 pandemic, many travelers who purchased holiday packages faced unexpected and complex problems such as sudden cancellations of flights and stays, changes to entry rules in different countries, requirements for tests or mandatory quarantines and difficulties in obtaining refunds from travel agencies.
The constant uncertainty about health measures and the lack of clear information from some tour operators have harmed thousands of EU consumers.
The EU directive on package holidays sets out rules that guarantee travelers protection, clear information, refunds and assistance when booking packaged travel services.