Question

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made on the Package Travel Directive and what is their definition of Assisted Travel Arrangements.

Negotiations in the European Council are nearing completion. The proposal was discussed at the Competitiveness Council of Ministers on 4 December and a General Approach was agreed by Member States’ Ministers. We expect final agreement to be achieved in the New Year following the completion of the next stage in the negotiation; discussions between the Presidency of the Council, the European Parliament and the European Commission.

The definition of Assisted Travel Arrangements in the text agreed at Council is:

'assisted travel arrangement' means at least two different types of travel services purchased for the purpose of the same trip or holiday, not constituting a package within the meaning of paragraph 2(b), resulting in the conclusion of separate contracts with the individual travel service providers, if a trader facilitates:

(a) on the occasion of a single visit or contact with its point of sale, the separate selection and separate payment of each travel service by travellers, or

(b) in a targeted manner, the procurement of additional travel services from other traders where contracts with such other traders are concluded not more than 48 hours after the confirmation of the first travel service.