EPP leads fight to keep strong air passenger protections

Led by EPP MEP Andrey Novakov, the European Parliament will today push back against Member States’ attempts to weaken air passenger rights and will reaffirm Parliament’s position ahead of the upcoming conciliation, the last-hour effort to reach a compromise between Parliament and EU Member States. 

"The EPP Group stands resolutely against the pressure of the Member States to water down Air Passenger Rights. Today’s vote will show, once again, that a strong majority in Parliament supports our approach. Parliament will give a clear mandate to hold the line. We call on the Transport Ministers of the Member States to reconsider their position. We are not asking for the moon, but just for common sense," said Andrey Novakov MEP, who is the European Parliament's lead negotiator on Air Passenger Rights, ahead of the vote, which will take place today at noon. 

"We have made it clear from the beginning that we will not back down on key passenger protections, including the three-hour threshold for compensation and the existing compensation levels, quasi-automatic compensation via a pre-filled form in case of cancellation and long delays, and the right for families with young children to sit together free of charge,” Novakov added. 

Today’s vote rejects any rollback of rights that passengers have relied on for years. Weakening the rules would be a step in the wrong direction. This is a testament to the EPP Group's effective leadership on consumer protection issues.  

"Independent research shows that the current framework significantly helped to reduce delays and thereby benefited our overall economies. This effect is even stronger on routes with low competition. This is why we are ready to continue our fight for strong and more predictable rules for both citizens and the aviation industry. Our goal is to find a balance that is fair for everyone. However, taking away rights that already exist is not an option; we want and must improve them instead," Novakov concluded. 

Press conference
Andrey Novakov MEP will brief journalists on the update of EU air passengers rights rules, shortly after the vote in plenary today, Wednesday at 14.30. More information.