A4-0016/96

Resolution on the Commission's Green Paper on the role of the Union in the field of tourism (COM(95)0097 - C4-0157/95))

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Commission's Green Paper on the role of the Union in the field of tourism (COM(95)0097 - C4-0157/95)

- having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on the Green Paper,

- having regard to the motions for a resolution pursuant to Rule 45 of the Rules of Procedure by

(a) Mr Parodi, Mr Ligabue and Mr Viceconte, on behalf of the Forza Europa Group, on European Union action in the field of tourism (B4-0556/95),

(b) Mr Parodi on European tourism policy (B4-0560/95),

- having regard to its resolutions of 11 June 1991 on a Community tourism policy ((OJ C 183, 15.7.1991, p. 74.)), 18 January 1994 on tourism in the approach to the year 2000 ((OJ C 44, 14.2.1994, p. 61.)), 15 December 1994 on the report from the Commission on Community measures affecting tourism ((OJ C 18, 12.1.1995, p. 159.)) and 17 May 1995 on the functioning of the Treaty on European Union with a view to the 1996 Intergovernmental Conference - Implementation and Development of the Union ((OJ C 151, 19.6.1995, p. 56)),

- having regard to the Council Decision of 13 July 1992 on a Community action plan to assist tourism ((OJ L 231, 13.8.1992, p. 26.)),

- having regard to Declaration No 1 on civil protection, energy and tourism, annexed to the final act of the Treaty on European Union, and Article 3(t) of the EC Treaty,

- having regard to the Committee on Transport and Tourism public hearing of 18 July 1995 on the Green Paper (PE 214.443),

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Transport and Tourism and the opinions of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and Industrial Policy and the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection (A4-0016/96),

A. whereas tourism is an economic and social activity, is globally viewed as an industry and is an important and independent sector of the economy at local, regional, national and Community level; whereas the tourist industry produces goods and provides services estimated to represent 5.5% of the GDP of the European Union and Community tourist enterprises provide employment for approximately 9 million European citizens, while at least the same number of people's jobs depend on the industry,

B. whereas tourism in the less-developed areas of the Community accounts for a relatively greater share of economic activity compared with the Community average, up to 75% in some island regions, and thereby plays an important role in the redistribution of wealth and as an instrument of economic development,

C. whereas tourism can make a major contribution to understanding and solidarity between peoples, promoting awareness of other cultures and ways of life,

D. whereas tourism policy as a whole must unquestionably be centred around tourists themselves and their environment,

E. whereas the governments of the Member States did not include a specific title on tourism in the Treaty on European Union whilst negotiations were being held at the same time between practically all the countries of the world - in which the Commission participated as the representative of the EC - with a view to concluding an agreement, within the framework of GATT, on the liberalization of trade in services, including tourism services,

F. whereas, when the Treaty on European Union is revised in 1996, tourism - in both its Community and international aspects - must be a specific and separate common policy with a separate legal basis and a special title,

G. whereas a common tourism policy, on the one hand, must aim - in so far as the principle of subsidiarity allows - to improve the competitiveness of Community tourist enterprises and to create favourable conditions for their development through provisions similar to those contained in Article 130 of the EC Treaty and, on the other hand, must ensure cooperation and coordination between the EC bodies and services which act in established Community policy fields so as to ensure a joint approach to the planning and implementation of common objectives such as the protection of tourists, improving workers' training and skills, the diversification of supply through new forms of tourism which will help break the pattern of purely seasonal tourism and the impact of tourism on the natural heritage, the environment, the cultural and artistic heritage and other sectors of the economy,

H. whereas the promotion of sustainable tourism is the key to a successful tourism industry,

I. whereas initiatives to improve and harmonize working conditions and professional qualifications, train workers, boost employment, exchange information and best practice between all those involved in tourist industry and coordinate the national initiatives of the Member States with the aim of bringing them into line with one another so as to ensure quality provision of services are an integral part of the common tourism policy,

J. whereas it is important to point out in this context the substantial beneficial effects a single European currency will have for European tourism; whereas the Commission should pursue its efforts to bring it about,

K. whereas the European Parliament has already expressed its support for option 4 in its resolution of 13 July 1990 on the measures needed to protect the environment from potential damage caused by mass tourism, as part of the European Year of Tourism ((OJ C 231, 17.9.1990, p. 234.)) and whereas it is surprising that it is being consulted again,

L. stressing the significance of the Commission's Green Paper as an important discussion paper which takes the right approach and as a catalyst for disciplined and fruitful dialogue between the EC institutions, the Member States and the social agents involved in tourism,

M. whereas this nevertheless can only be the first step, and stressing that it now expects the Commission to come forward with proposals for a common policy framework in its forthcoming White Paper,

1. Regrets that the Member States did not include provisions on a common tourism policy in the Treaty on European Union, although the European Parliament had urged them to do so;

2. Calls on the Commission to support the creation of a title establishing a common tourism policy (which must be sustainable in terms of the environment, culture, the economy, and jobs in the regions concerned) with a separate legal basis in the Treaty establishing the European Community through the report it will submit to the Council pursuant to Declaration No 1 when that Treaty is revised at the 1996 Intergovernmental Conference, and, while respecting the principle of subsidiarity, calls for this legal basis for tourism to cover certain limited but important areas of actions;

3. Points out that there could not be a common tourism policy without the inclusion in the EC Treaty of provisions on the important and independent sector of tourism, one of Europe's biggest industries, similar to the provisions already adopted at Community level for other, often smaller sectors of the economy;

4. Considers that a sustainable common tourism policy should seek to accomplish the objectives set out in Article 2 of the EC Treaty, focus its efforts on intra-Community tourism and international tourism, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, and should concern:

- ensuring the quality and competitiveness of the Community tourist industry within the framework of a system of free market competition, while speeding up the necessary adjustments to deal in particular with the internationalization of the market, the increasing competitiveness of new tourist destinations in third countries and the growing demand in the field of international tourism,

- creating favourable conditions for the development of Community tourist enterprises, particularly small and medium-sized undertakings, by ensuring that they can have direct market access, facilitating access to the 'information society', adopting and applying new technologies, encouraging new forms of tourism which will help break the pattern of purely seasonal tourism, etc,

- taking initiatives to improve and harmonize working conditions, train workers and boost employment,

- cooperation and coordination in a transparent manner of the European Union bodies and services operating under established Community policies with a view to taking a uniform and effective joint approach and to provide the best guarantees to the issues of the protection of tourists and the effects of tourism on transport, the environment, water resources, society, cultural heritage and various sectors of the economy,

- promoting cooperation between all those involved in tourist activities (Member States, local authorities, non-member countries, tourist enterprises, consumers, workers, institutes and organizations) to ensure improved and timely exchanges of information and best practice, in order to achieve support for safeguarding the European natural and cultural heritage, and hence contribute towards greater overall synergy between tourism and regional economic development,

- coordination of national measures by the Member States in the field of Community and international tourism which will facilitate efforts to harmonize national policies and create the conditions for taking additional and/or supplementary initiatives at Community level,

- introducing the possibility of concluding agreements between the European Community and third countries or international organizations on matters relating to international tourism, in accordance with the procedure provided for in Article 228 of the EC Treaty,

- undertaking initiatives to finance research, restoration and conservation work and tourist infrastructure projects on the basis of pre-determined criteria, aiming at replacing quantity by quality and concerned mainly with conservation of the environment and cultural heritage of Community tourist destinations;

5. Recalls its previous resolutions and calls on the Commission in the forthcoming White Paper on tourism to deal with the following subjects:

- the protection of specific rights of tourists in the broadest meaning of the term, such as the establishment of a compulsory insurance, but also their obligations with reference to safety and the protection of the environment, not excluding guidelines for a European code of conduct for tourists,

- tangible proposals to ensure that the concept of sustainable tourism and environmental protection are reflected in the redefining of the objectives, guidelines and environment-friendly management of the tourism sector,

- an analysis of the effects on revenue and economic activity of applying a special rate of VAT and other similar taxes to tourism and hospitality activities as a whole,

- the joint promotion of Europe, and especially of the European Union, as a destination for tourists from third countries,

- initiatives to improve and harmonize study programmes, working conditions, and the vocational training and further occupational training of workers with a view to improving their prospects of mobility, thus upgrading the tourism profession and boosting employment,

- initiatives to facilitate the access of young people, the elderly and those with limited financial means to tourism by developing the potential of youth and other forms of social and associative tourism,

- the volume of increase of the financial resources allocated to the sector in the Community budget resulting from the establishment of a Community tourism policy;

6. Calls on the Commission to comply with the request already made by the European Parliament in its abovementioned resolution of 15 December 1994 regarding the creation of a European tourism agency and to take the appropriate steps to this end;

7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments of the Member States, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.