On 26 June, the European Parliament Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO) adopted its position on a revision of the EU Package Travel Directive (PTD). The text adopted notably includes:
- A clarification of refund obligations: in case the package contract is terminated, the organiser shall refund all payments but will not be subject to compensation obligation in specific cases (notably extraordinary circumstances).
- The definition of a travel package and of the scope of the directive: solely travel arrangements facilitated by traders for travellers will be included.
- The possibility for the vouchers to be issued instead of a refund. However, in case the voucher expires, the traveller should still be paid back.
The current text does not contain any limitation of pre-payment (as opposed to the text suggested by the Commission which includes a limitation of pre-payment to 25 per cent of the total price of the package). However, it mentions that the final choice should be left at the discretion of the Council.
The European Parliament will then debate and vote it in plenary (expected in September). It will later engage in the trilogue and discuss with the Council who had adopted its position in December 2024.
Please find the adopted text here.