ROME-An astonishing 382 out of 552 websites checked in 2013 did not respect European consumer law, according to the results of a concerted action co-ordinated by the European Commission. As a result of vigorous enforcement action, 62% of the websites checked are now treating consumers as they should. The remaining 38% can expect further action against them as European authorities continue to work towards ensuring that consumer rights are fully respected.

"One in three internet users in the European Union book travel and accommodation online. They deserve to know that on-line booking is safe and reliable. Of the 552 travel websites we checked, 62% are now in line with EU consumer legislation, thanks to the joint efforts of the Member States and the Commission. I will not rest until consumers' rights are fully respected and will seek to use the existing structures to achieve this," said EU Commissioner for Consumer Policy, Neven Mimica.

 Concerted screenings (also known as "sweeps") of websites are regularly coordinated by the European Commission and carried out by national enforcement authorities, to identify breaches of consumer law and to subsequently ensure its enforcement. In summer 2013, national authorities checked websites selling air travel and hotel accommodation, including websites of both traders and intermediaries. A total 552 websites were checked.

 Following checks and verification, national authorities found a total of 382 websites to be non-compliant with EU consumer law, while only 31% of the websites checked complied with EU rules. National authorities subsequentlyeither contacted national companies which run the non-compliant websites in order to bring them in line with EU consumer law or, in case of companies from other Member States, asked the Member State in question for assistance. To date, 173 websites have been verified and corrected, bringing the total number of compliant websites up to 62% of the total websites checked. 209 websites are subject to ongoing proceedings, and 52 traders have committed to correct their websites.

 The websites were checked to determine whether information on the key characteristics of the services was easily accessible; whether the price was indicated at an early stage, including any optional supplements; whether the websites provided email addresses to which questions and complaints could be submitted; and to see whether the websites contained terms and conditions available before the purchase and written in plain and easy to understand language. The main problems found were:

-A lack of mandatory information on the trader's identity, in particular their email address, depriving consumers of an effective contact channel. 162 websites (30%) did not contain this information.

-A lack of clear instructions on how to make a complaint. 157 websites (28%) did not provide this information.

-Optional price supplements, such as baggage fee, insurance fee, priority boarding, are not on an “opt-in” basis. This problem occurred with 133 websites (24%).

-The total price of the service is not indicated up-front when the main elements of the booking are first displayed. 112 websites (20%) failed to give this information.

Next steps:

 Administrative or legal proceedings continue at national level for the 209 websites which are still not compliant. In addition, certain practices in the travel sector are being further reviewed so that consumers have all the relevant information and can make informed choices.

Framework:

 A "sweep" is an EU-wide screening of websites, to identify breaches of consumer law and to subsequently ensure its enforcement. The sweep is coordinated by the European Commission and run simultaneously by national enforcement authorities based on the provisions of the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) regulation. The Travel Services Sweep took place in 27 EU Member States*, Norway and Iceland in June 2013. The "enforcement phase" is still on-going. This was the 7^th sweep since 2007. Websites offering air travel and/or accommodation were checked; a website offering both services was counted twice.

 A growing percentage of European citizens purchase travel services online: in 2012, 32% of European consumers with access to internet booked air tickets or a hotel online (Eurostat data e-shopping survey 2012). Travel, tourism and related sectors account for roughly 10% of EU GDP. European citizens went on more than 1 billion holiday trips in 2011, out of which nearly 80% in the EU.

For further information:

Twitter: @MimicaEU, @EU_Consumer

http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/enforcement/sweep/online_travel_booking/

*Croatia did not participate in this sweep, as the screening phase (June 2013) took place prior to its accession to the EU.