WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1407/99 by Mary BANOTTI Single person travel supplement
Date: 1999-09-01
Institutions: BANOTTI, European Parliament
Subjects: EU law, discriminatory price, one person household, package travel

C 27 E/52

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

29.1.2000

The Commission would point out however, that ratification of CITES by Ireland will not in itself lead to
the accession to CITES by the Community. The latter depends on the ratification of an amendment to the
text of the Convention by certain other CITES parties. The Commission is actively discussing this question
with the CITES parties concerned.

the Commission understands that draft

legislation recently tabled in the Irish
On a positive note,
Parliament (aimed at amending Ireland(cid:146)s 1976 Wildlife Act) will operate as an instrument of ratification.
This legislation is expected to be adopted in the coming months, and the Commission is hopeful that the
Honourable Member(cid:146)s concerns will thereby be satisfactorily addressed.

(1) Debates of the Parliament (February 1999).
(2) OJ L 61, 3.3.1997.

(2000/C 27 E/060)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1407/99

by Mary Banotti (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(1 September 1999)

Subject: Single person travel supplement

Can the Commission indicate whether the supplements applied to single people(cid:146)s travelling costs is
contrary to Community law?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(19 October 1999)

There is no specific Community legislation on the supplements applied to single travellers. In June 1990,
the Council adopted the Directive 90/314/EEC (1) on package travel, package holidays and package tours,
the purpose of which is to approximate the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member
States relating to packages sold or offered for sale in the territory of the Community. The directive is
designed to protect consumers who contract package travel in the Community.

Article 2.4 of the Directive defines the consumer as the person who takes or agrees to take the package
((cid:145)the principal contractor(cid:146)), or any person on whose behalf the principal contractor agrees to purchase the
package ((cid:145)the other beneficiaries(cid:146)) or any person to whom the principal contractor or any of the other
beneficiaries transfers the package ((cid:145)the transferee(cid:146)). Therefore the Community text does not make any
distinction between travellers, single or not, and its provisions apply to all of them.

Generally, market mechanisms impose a (cid:145)higher price for single travellers(cid:146) on the basis that they would
cause higher accommodation costs.

(1) OJ L 158, 23.6.1990.

(2000/C 27 E/061)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1408/99

by Mary Banotti (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(1 September 1999)

Subject: Job-sharing facilities

job-sharing in the public sector is allowed and, where possible, must be
As you are no doubt aware,
granted to someone making an application for it. However, no such obligation currently exists in the
private sector.

Could the Commission indicate whether there are any EU directives being discussed or planned with a
view to introducing obligatory job-sharing facilities in the private sector?