By the end of the year, new, broader rights for air passengers may come into force, after the European Parliament adopted the legislative changes at second reading. Negotiations with the European Council are underway, in which Bulgarian MEP Andrey Novakov, EPP group, will also participate.
"We should either finally abandon this bill within this year, or make it and implement it in practice," said Novakov.
The goal is better protection for passengers – maintaining the three-hour delay threshold, guaranteed care in case of canceled flights, clear rules for hand luggage and the right for parents to travel with their children without additional payment.
"I want there to be a rule that obliges airlines to let parents stay with their children without paying for it. This is abnormal", Novakov is categorical. "There are airlines that earn billions just from the fact that the suitcase has come out of the frame by 3 centimeters. This is not worth 75 euros", he added.
According to him, there is a risk that some member states will protect the interests of the airlines at the expense of passengers.
"The traps are in the differences we have with the European Council. Member States, surprisingly for me, prefer to protect the position of airlines more and passengers less", commented the MEP.
In the new programming period for Bulgaria, over 22 billion euros are planned for seven years, the MEP also announced in a comment on the future EU regional policy.
The new approach envisages the unification of various European funds in national plans with the aim of less bureaucracy and more effective absorption of funds.
"Now in these plans everything is united into one. The state submits one plan and says what it will do for agriculture, roads, energy efficiency and vulnerable groups. The aim is to facilitate and modernize the approach, because many people say: we don't want to deal with European projects because of the bureaucracy," the MEP explained.
Novakov warned that delays in preparing these plans could lead to a loss of funds, and called for active work by Bulgarian institutions so that the country can make the most of the planned European funding.