Activites

• 1998/05/04 Final act published in Official Journal
• 1998/03/31 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T4-0178/1998 summary

    In adopting the report by Mr Pedro APARICIO SANCHEZ (PSE, E) Parliament regretted that the Commission did not have an action programme for tourism (as an economic, cultural and social activity and concerning protection of the tourist). In general terms, Parliament considered it essential to create a framework for Community measures to protect safety in tourist accommodation and that Community measures to protect safety in air, sea and coach transport were complied with and were monitored. With regard to air transport, Parliament called on the Commission to take steps to improve information to travellers concerning fares, ticket details, permitted baggage weight, overbooking and the level of compensation paid in individual cases. It also called for revision of the system for allocating slots at Community airports so that charter or tourist flights were not always affected by unfavourable scheduling. Parliament called on the Commission to submit a proposal concerning terminology, classification and quality criteria for tourist accommodation and travel agencies. It called for consideration of the setting up of a guarantee fund for cases of airline bankruptcies and for travel agency bankruptcies. Such a fund should have sufficient resources to limit non-professional bodies. Parliament also called for: - better information for consumers on clauses relating to cancellation of bookings, holidays and the relevant insurance contracts; - publication by the Commission of a compilation of Community measures on protection of tourists and their rights and duties; - particular attention to be paid by the Commission to the specific problems encountered by children, senior citizens and persons with disabilities (the presence of a doctor at major tourist accommodation centres and rapid access to medical services in case of emergency should be guaranteed); - the creation of a European network of information and assistance offices (including legal advice); - measures to ensure that EU nationals who are either victims of a crime or accused of committing one have immediate and constant access to interpretation and translation at no cost to themselves; - harmonization at European level of the amount of compensation payable to EU citizens who are victims of crime where physical harm has been inflicted; - establishment of a programme of Community financing to guarantee assistance to tourists in major centres. �

• 1998/03/30 Debate in Parliament
• 1998/02/25 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A4-0071/1998
• 1997/05/16 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading

Documents

• Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A4-0071/1998
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T4-0178/1998

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)