Meeting in Brussels on 15 July, the Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper I) endorsed a final compromise text that will overhaul EU passenger-rights legislation across air, rail, bus and ferry travel. The proposed regulation amends the flagship EC 261/2004 air-compensation rules and other sectoral laws, aiming to streamline enforcement, strengthen refund timelines and introduce standard digital claims forms. Belgium, which currently holds the rotating Council presidency, brokered the deal after months of wrangling over airlines’ liability for missed connections and the definition of ‘extraordinary circumstances’. Under the compromise, carriers will have 20 days (down from 30) to refund cancelled journeys paid by corporate credit card, and national enforcement bodies—such as Belgium’s FPS Mobility—will gain powers to impose penalties of up to 4 % of annual turnover for repeated non-compliance. The text now moves to the European Parliament’s transport committee, which is expected to vote after the summer recess. If adopted, the new rules could take effect as early as mid-2027, giving travel managers a two-year window to update corporate booking tools and traveller-rights communications. For multinational firms with regional headquarters in Brussels, the tighter refund deadlines will improve cash-flow predictability, but the higher penalties mean airlines may raise fares or introduce stricter re-routing policies. Travel-risk teams should also note that the regulation sets common standards for assistance to passengers with reduced mobility, an area where Belgian airports and rail operators will need to upgrade facilities. Belgium’s proactive role in shepherding the file underscores the country’s influence on EU mobility policy and signals that further consumer-protection measures—such as the long-delayed Multimodal Digital Mobility Services regulation—could advance during its presidency.
Source: Council of the European Union
