The Belgian EU Presidency intends to “lay the foundations” of Europe’s future tourism policy. Isabelle Weyckmans, tourism minister of the German-speaking community of Belgium and president-in-office for these matters, told the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN), on 13 July in Brussels, that she is working on draft Council conclusions. They are set to be adopted in Luxembourg, on 12 October, at a Competitiveness Council. The minister intends to address themes such as the positioning of European tourism as a “quality, responsible and ethical” tourism, greater use of culture by the tourism industry and the development of social tourism.

With the new means of EU action in this sector made available by the Lisbon Treaty (Article 195 – see box), the minister plans to clear the ground to establish “which working method to use in the future”. However, responding to Said El Khadraoui (S&D, Belgium), who called for a debate on greater harmonisation in this sector – he mentioned common criteria for the allocation of stars to hotels - Weyckmans immediately ruled out legislation. “The Lisbon Treaty does not give us enough competence to establish European standards,” she explained. She was also cautious on the possibility of a tourism chapter being included in the next EU financial perspectives. Weyckmans acknowledged the need to “build consensus to give financial visibility to tourism” – not doing so would run counter to the Lisbon Treaty, she said – but “the question of form” is still open. The European Commission itself, in a communication on tourism adopted on 30 June COM(2010)352), is very cautious in this respect, speaking only of “studying ways of strengthening support actions” for the sector.

The annual European Tourism Forum will be held on 18-19 November in Malta.

Lisbon Treaty on sector

Title XXII, Article 195, of the Lisbon Treaty offers new means of action in the tourism sector because it recognises for the first time the possibility to “complement the action of the member states in the tourism sector”. EU action, it states, shall be aimed at “encouraging the creation of a favourable environment for the development of undertakings in this sector” and “promoting cooperation between the member states, particularly by the exchange of good practice”.