The European Union and tourism: challenges and policy responses

The Lisbon Treaty provides for faster and easier decision-making on EU measures in the field of tourism, allowing decisions to be taken through the ordinary legislative procedure, even though it has not substantially increased the scope of EU powers in the area.

Drawing on the new Treaty provisions, the European Commission has prepared a new policy framework, whose main objective is to make European tourism more competitive, modern, sustainable and responsible.

The strategy, entitled ‘Europe, the world's No 1 destination – a new political framework for tourism in Europe’, was welcomed by the European Parliament, which nonetheless underlined the need to better coordinate tourism-related issues within the Commission and to clearly signpost financial support for tourism-related projects.

The Parliament has also recently underscored the importance of tourism - Related activities in different policy fields such as in rural, maritime and coastal areas.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Statistics: Tourism http://www.europeansources.info/record/website-statistics-tourism/

ESO: Background information: Tourism http://www.europeansources.info/record/tourism-2/

ESO: Background information: Tourism http://www.europeansources.info/showDoc?ID=1141040

ESO: Background information: Communication ... Europe, the world's No 1 tourist destination – a new political framework for tourism in Europe http://www.europeansources.info/record/communication-europe-the-worlds-no-1-tourist-destination-a-new-political-framework-for-tourism-in-europe/

ESO: Background information: Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on ‘Europe, the world’s No 1 tourist destination: a new political framework for tourism in Europe’ http://www.europeansources.info/record/opinion-of-the-committee-of-the-regions-on-europe-the-worlds-no-1-tourist-destination-a-new-political-framework-for-tourism-in-europe/

ESO: Background information: Proposal for a Council Recommendation on European Tourism Quality Principles http://www.europeansources.info/record/proposal-for-a-council-recommendation-on-european-tourism-quality-principles/

ESO: Background information: New tourism quality principles – Good for tourists, good for small enterprises http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-new-tourism-quality-principles-good-for-tourists-good-for-small-enterprises/

ESO: Background information: Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - A European strategy for more growth and jobs in coastal and maritime tourism http://www.europeansources.info/record/communication-from-the-commission-to-the-european-parliament-the-council-the-european-economic-and-social-committee-and-the-committee-of-the-regions-a-european-strategy-for-more-growth-and-jobs-in/

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