The European Union (EU) Council has adopted its negotiating position on two Commission proposals, which form part of the ‘passenger mobility’ legislative package.
The EU passenger rights regulatory framework consists of five regulations dealing with four transport modes – two regulations for air, one for waterborne, one for bus and coach, and one for rail transport.
The packages presented 29 November 2024 include a draft regulation amending five different sectoral regulations regarding the enforcement of passenger rights in the EU and a draft regulation on passenger rights in the context of multimodal journeys.
The legislative package aims to address the gaps in the current passenger rights regulatory framework.
The package will achieve through:
- ensuring effective and efficient enforcement across all member states and in all modes of transport, through more effective tools for the monitoring of operators’ compliance with passenger rights
- ensuring a more effective complaint handling for passengers irrespective of the transport mode
- in case of airline tickets booked via an intermediary, regulating the right to reimbursement of the full cost of a ticket when the flight is not carried out as planned
The draft regulation will aim to strike the balance between the protection of passengers and the obligation of carriers and infrastructure managers.
