WRITTEN QUESTION E-3315/01 by Jorge Hernández Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Tourist arbitration in the EU.
Date: 2001-11-28
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Community body, arbitration, civil proceedings, competence of the Member States, consumer information, redemption, tourism

6.6.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 134 E/217

(2002/C 134 E/230)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3315/01

by Jorge Hernández Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(28 November 2001)

Subject: Tourist arbitration in the EU

Numerous tourists in the EU are resorting to the tactic of citing grounds of complaint with the intention
of obtaining refunds on the costs of their holidays after the event.

For this reason, and to prevent hotels suffering from tourists’ claims for refunds from tour operators which
are then passed on to the hotels, a number of tourist centres in the Community have set up tourist
arbitration departments in the hope that this type of structure will be generalised at Union level.

Will the Commission consider the possibility of cooperating with a view to establishing, at Community
level, a Community Tourist Arbitration Centre, whose brief would be to find solutions to disputes of
whatever type arising between tourist entities and users in the different Member States, with a view to
avoiding unnecessary prejudice to hotels and tourist entities in general?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(1 February 2002)

The question asked by the Honourable Member falls within the area of responsibility of the Member States,
in its Communication of 13 November 2001 (1), the Commission did not identify the
which is why,
establishment of a Community Tourist Arbitration Centre as one of the priorities and actions to be taken
by the various public and private operators in the sector.

the Commission,

However, as regards consumer policy,
in collaboration with Member States, has
established the European Extra-Judicial Network (the ‘EEJ-Net’) in order to help consumers resolve their
cross border disputes with traders more effectively by using out-of-court dispute resolution schemes.
National contact points (2) have been established by each Member State as well as Norway and Iceland to
provide a communication and support structure to facilitate the working of national out-of-court
settlement bodies cross border. The purpose of the network is to address the practical obstacles which
consumers’ face if using an out-of-court settlement body in a country other than their own. Primarily those
barriers involve lack of information about foreign bodies as well as linguistic and geographical barriers that
make it difficult for the consumer to make a complaint in the first instance. The national contact points
will help the dissatisfied consumer with information and support in making a claim to the out-of-court
settlement body in the country where the business from which the products or services were acquired is
located. The pilot phase was launched on 16 October 2001 and will run for 1 year.

(1) Commission Communication to the Council, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the

(2)

Committee of the Regions 9 Working together for the future of European tourism, COM(2001) 655 final.
For further information see: http://europa. eu. int/comm/consumers/policy/developments/acce_just/acce_just14_en.
pdf.

(2002/C 134 E/231)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3316/01

by Jorge Hernández Mollar (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Aid for marketing of eco-friendly products from Andalusia

(28 November 2001)

The Andalusian Association of Eco-Friendly Producers (Spain) intends to promote the production and
marketing of its products, and has therefore asked for information on the existing Community aids.