CP ECTAA: Polish Council Presidency ready to take on travel and tourism matters

02 mai 2011

Undersecretary of State for Sport and Tourism meets with ECTAA in Warsaw to discuss trade matters in preparation of the Polish Presidency of the EU 

In preparation of the Polish Presidency of the EU starting on the 1st of July 2011, a delegation consisting of the Vice President of ECTAA, Mr. Pawel Niewiadomski, and Secretary General, Michel de Blust, together with the President and Vice President of thePolish Chamber of Tourism, PIT, has met with Under Secretary of State, Mrs Katarina 

The discussion led to a fruitful exchange on the priorities of the Polish Presidency and the priorities of the Industry. The revision of the package travel Directive, the standstill situationon the revision of the margin taxation scheme for travel agents well as the EU Commission’s actions in the field of tourism were identified as major priorities of the trade. 

Said Vice President Pawel Niewiadomski: “The industry is counting on the Polish CouncilPresidency to end the deadlock on the much needed revision of the special VAT scheme for travel agents. Discussions are going on for nearly a decade – the trade needs a scheme that is adapted to the market of today and that avoids the distortions of competition that are inherent in the current VAT scheme.”

Said Michel de Blust, Secretary General of ECTAA: “The package travel Directive is thebackbone legislation of the travel trade in Europe. The revision process engaged by the European Commission requires establishing a fair level playing field among all enterprises,ensuring a good level of consumer protection while preserving the competitiveness of the EU travel trade.”