Strasbourg: The European Parliament gave final approval on 20 October 2026 to new rules on passenger rights enforcement, voting 652 in favour, two against and eight abstentions. The regulation amends five existing EU laws that cover air, rail, bus and sea travel, and Parliament says it affects about 13 billion journeys a year.
Rapporteur Matteo Ricci of the Socialists and Democrats said the rules put citizens’ rights above airline profits. Agence Europe reports that Ricci called criticism from Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary regrettable. O’Leary had argued that the rules would raise fares, while Ricci said a free companion for passengers with disabilities would not hurt airline competitiveness.
Refunds through intermediaries are a central fix. Under the passenger rights enforcement package, a traveller who booked through an intermediary gets a full refund, including the intermediary’s fee, within 14 days of cancellation. The airline pays the intermediary within seven days, and the intermediary then has seven more days to pay the passenger.
National enforcement bodies gain stronger powers. They can start audits, inspections and interviews on their own initiative, not only after complaints. A common EU claim form will cover air, sea and bus travel, while rail keeps its existing form, and sea and bus passengers will get the same three-month complaint period that rail passengers already have.
People with disabilities or reduced mobility receive a specific benefit. A companion travels free when the person’s presence is necessary. Consumer groups have long argued that rights on paper mean little without a simple claim route and visible penalties. A single claim form for air, sea and bus travel is meant to close that gap.
The Commission proposed the regulation in November 2023, and its impact assessment put consumer hassle-cost savings at about €1.68 billion. Those estimates relate to the original proposal rather than the adopted text. The Council’s position of December 2024 had removed some monitoring and cooperation provisions, so the final compromise matters for how much bite national regulators get under the passenger rights enforcement framework.
The Council must now formally approve the text before publication in the Official Journal. Agence Europe and a Danish legal news service say it applies from 23 October 2027, the same date as the reformed air passenger rights regulation. Until then, travellers still depend on the old system, and passenger rights enforcement stays patchy, while airlines and intermediaries have a year to adapt their refund processes to the new passenger rights enforcement regime.
