Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection John Dalli gave an update yesterday on the Commission’s work on the revision of the Package Travel Directive.

ABTA Chief Executive Mark Tanzer said:

“We are encouraged that the EU has taken notice of the submissions ABTA made through the consultation process of the review of the Package Travel Directive and we welcome the comments that have come out of yesterday’s discussion.

Particularly welcome is the concern raised by both the Commission and MEPs for airline insolvency to be covered by European law. For too long airlines have been allowed to trade without protecting the monies they take from consumers in advance of travel. This puts consumers at risk of financial loss and places tour operators at a significant competitive disadvantage. The planned extension of the scope of the directive has long been our priority.

“However, this is just the start of the formulation of a new European law and we will be working to ensure that the new Directive meets the concerns of the travel industry and its customers both now and in the future taking account of future technological and trading developments.

“We now have a timetable for the process of this new law and ABTA will be lobbying hard to make sure that Members will, in future, be trading in a regulatory environment that meets their needs and the needs of their customers. ABTA’s Head of Public Affairs Luke Pollard and I will be going to Brussels next week to continue with this process which will have a very significant impact on our Members’ business and the rights of the travelling public.”