Tourism industry: improvement of safety, consumers' rights and trading standards

The Committee adopted the own-initiative report by Pedro APARICIO SANCHEZ (PES, E) on improving safety, consumer's rights and trading standards in the tourism sector. The current Community legislation in this area shows no overall approach and therefore the rapporteur called on the Commission to come forward with a wide range of measures to protect the tourist physically, legally and economically. In his report, Mr APARICIO SANCHEZ emphasized the need for community action and legislation, in particular: - to protect the tourist in the phase preceding the trip (advertising and sale of tourism services and travel contracts); -to protect the tourist in the performance phase of the contract. He also supported a better access to justice, with the possibility of introducing Community arbitration channels of a non-judicial nature for some types of dispute. �