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EU reform: Are passengers threatened with the end of compensation?
EU plans to reform air passenger rights: compensation may only be possible for delays of 5-12 hours. Consumers warn of disadvantages.
EU reform: Are passengers threatened with the end of compensation?
The EU is facing a possible reform that could significantly weaken the rights of air passengers. Passengers are currently entitled to compensation of between 250 and 600 euros for delays of more than three hours. However, the European Commission's proposal proposes to increase this threshold to five to twelve hours, depending on the flight distance. This could have a massive impact on compensation claims, meaning that up to 80 percent of previous compensation could be lost, warn consumer advocates.
The Federal Minister of Justice Stefanie Hubig has spoken out clearly against this change and emphasized how important it is to protect consumer rights. Karolina Wojtal, co-head of the European Consumer Center Germany, sees the proposed adjustment as a serious step backwards. She points out that most air transport delays are usually between two and four hours.
Arguments for and against the reform
While consumer advocates are sounding the alarm, the lobby organization “Airlines for Europe” (A4E) is optimistic and supports the reform. A4E argues that longer thresholds would allow airlines to find solutions to restore schedules. However, it is not yet clear whether EU states will agree to the proposal or make changes. A final compromise with the EU Parliament is necessary to approve the reform.
The current air passenger rights are set out by Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004, which came into force on February 11, 2004. This regulation established common rules for compensation and assistance for passengers in the European Economic Area and replaced Regulation (EEC) No. 295/91. The text of the regulation, which has been published in several languages, specifies the use cases such as denied boarding, cancellations and long flight delays. The relevance of this regulation is important to consumers and airlines alike, especially given the upcoming changes.
In summary, it can be said that the discussion about reforming air passenger rights represents a complex balance of interests between consumer protection and the needs of airlines. Developments remain to be seen until a compromise is found and the reform is finally decided. Further information on the current legal situation can be found in the Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004 be read while rheinpfalz.de continuously reports on developments.