Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
for tourism concerns to be handled adequately
at the supranational level. A common ground
approach that would probably satisfy both the
skeptics and the enthusiasts would be the spon-
sorship approach as it suggests greater degrees of
involvement and cooperation without increasing
bureaucracy and legislation. There are good rea-
sons to believe that this approach may already be
gaining ground.
June 2004, it was finally agreed to add tourism
to the Constitution (LGIB, 2004) after a lot of
pressure from MEPs, member state officials and
tourism interest groups to have tourism rein-
stated as an area of EU competence. According
to European Travel Policy (ETP), tourism inter-
est groups came to realize that 'the perennial
complaints about EU neglect of tourism will
stand even less chance of satisfaction if the last
vestige of a formal EU role in tourism is swept
away' (ETP, 2003). The omission of tourism
from the draft Constitution was the much-
needed incentive for the coming together of
interested parties in tourism. It was also the
proof of the claim that had been made during
the
Tourism in the EU Constitution
The draft constitution was published by the
Praesidium of the Convention on the Future of
Europe on 18 July 2003. Its main aim is to
replace the overlapping set of existing treaties
and simplify procedures. Following long negoti-
ations, the draft was agreed by the European
Council on 18 June 2004 in Brussels with some
modifications and now awaits ratification by all
member states. Ratification is likely to take
around two years and cannot begin until the
text has been officially published in 21 lang-
uages (Nationmaster, 2004).
The main objectives of the Constitution are:
conference
on
transport
and
tourism
organized by the Greek Presidency that:
there was a broad consensus at the ministerial
meeting for the status quo of tourism to be
reinstated in the text of the new Treaty, as one
of the areas for supporting action, where the
EU will have a complementary role alongside
member states.
(ETP, 2003; GNTO, 2003)
The move to include tourism as an area of
shared competence was welcomed by some
organizations (EAA, 2004; ECTAA, 2004) as it
could lead to further funding of projects (ETOA)
whereas others such as ABTA feared that it
could lead to bureaucracy or further regulation
(
Travel Weekly
, 2004). Overall though, it was
suggested that it was better for tourism interests
to be in rather than out of the constitution.
The relevant section of the EU constitution
reads as follows (Article III-181a):
to simplify the overlapping Treaties and
Protocols providing the current legal con-
stitution for Europe;
●
to enhance and streamline decision-making
in the Union now that it has 25 members.
●
The Constitution identifies areas of
exclu-
sive
,
shared
, and
supporting
,
coordinating
and
complementary
action. Areas of exclusive com-
petence are those in which member states have
agreed that they should act exclusively through
the EU and not legislate at the national level
(i.e. customs union, Euro zone monetary policy,
common commercial policy). Areas of shared
competence are those in which member states
act alone only where they have not acted
through the EU, or where the EU has ceased to
act. The areas of supporting, coordinating or
complementary action are those where member
states have not conferred any competencies on
the Union and the Union may only act to
support the work of the member states.
Tourism was one of the areas that had
originally been dropped in the draft Treaty text
submitted by the Praesidium of the Convention.
During the Intergovernmental Conference in
1. The Union shall complement the action of the
Member States in the tourism sector in particular by
promoting the competitiveness of Union undertakings
in that sector.
2. To that end, Union action shall be aimed at:
(a) Encouraging the creation of a favourable
environment for the development of under-
takings in this sector;
(b) Promoting cooperation between the
Member States, particularly by the exchange of
good practice;
3. A European law or framework shall establish
specific measures to complement actions within the
Member States to achieve the objectives referred to in
this Article, excluding any harmonisation of the laws
and regulations of the Member States.
(ETOA, 2004)
