Discussions on the Air Passenger Rights proposal (Regulation 261/2004) finally started in June 2025, after a decade-long stalemate. This Wednesday, another step towards a revised law was taken. With the European Parliament’s vote this Wednesday, both institutions have agreed on their positions to continue the negotiations.
This legislative proposal – which complements Regulation 1107/2006 on Air Passenger Rights for persons with disabilities and reduced mobility – provides all passengers with compensation and assistance in the event of denied boarding, cancellation and long delays.
Good disability-specific provisions
While it is not the main focus of Regulation 261/2004, both the Member States and the European Parliament have proposed provisions to improve access to air transport for passengers with disabilities, most notably:
- Full compensation for the loss or damage to mobility equipment and assistance dogs.
- seat allocation free of charge for persons accompanying passengers with disabilities.
- Priority boarding for persons with disabilities and their assistance dogs.
The European Parliament has is also proposing the following more ambitious points:
- Involvement of assistance services in the design of airport contingency plans.
- The right to use safety-approved respiratory devices and medical oxygen on board free of charge.
Member States try to step back on general consumer rights
While these are good news for the disability community, it is not the case for general consumers. Currently, Member States are proposing to weaken some of the key rights for all passengers, such as higher eligibility thresholds for compensation (for example, from 3 to 5 hours) and a lower amount of compensation.
Persons with disabilities are also consumers and, therefore, EDF supports other civil society groups calling to strengthen, not to weaken, existing rights.
The negotiations on Regulation 261/2004 will continue in 2026 in parallel with other important proposals for persons with disabilities, such as the one on enforcement of passenger rights, which includes a revision of Regulation 1107/2006.
The fact that both the Parliament and the Council of the EU agree on key provisions, such as the full liability for damaged or lost mobility equipment, means that it will probably be part of the final law.