Papoutsis moves to give tourism legal EU status

Date: 11/04/1996

By Fiona McHugh

LONG-consigned to the wings of the EU's policy theatre, tourism may soon step into the spotlight if ministers agree to a new multiannual action plan at a meeting due to be held next month.

Tourism Commissioner Christos Papoutsis, who has secured the support of fellow Commissioners for his campaign to get tourism written into the EU treaty at the Intergovernmental Conference, is now preparing to tackle the bloc's tourism ministers on the issue.

In a report to be discussed by ministers at their next meeting, provisionally scheduled for 13 May, Papoutsis points out that as the Union grows in size it will become increasingly difficult for the EU to implement joint policy in this area without a specific legal base.

Papoutsis will also present the ministers with a review of the work done by the Commission tourism unit in the past and propose new lines of action for the future.

Dogged by a series of fraud scandals two years ago and handicapped by a severe lack of funds, staff and status, the unit has so far failed to carve out a significant role for itself in EU circles.

But with Europe's share of world tourism business on the decline, and awareness of the industry's economic worth on the rise, that now looks set to change. Tourism, in short, is back on the agenda.

With Papoutsis' campaign picking up momentum, member states will find themselves under intense pressure to surrender at least a modicum of sovereignty in this area at the IGC and cooperate, rather than compete, for tourism business.

Industry representatives have already turned up the heat. At last month's opening of the IGC, they presented Papoutsis and Italian Prime Minister Lamberto Dini with suggested amendments to the treaty.

Their message was clear: something needs to be done - and at an EU level - to plug the flow of trade to far-flung regions of the globe.

Responding to that initiative, Dini pledged to press for a new clause to be written into the treaty during the remainder of Italy's EU presidency.

Tourism ministers have been invited to attend a conference, scheduled to take place in Naples on 7-11 May, to discuss whether and to what extent member states should pool resources in the tourism field.

The increasingly public nature of Papoutsis' campaign will, no doubt, boost morale in the Commission's unit, which is battling against the odds to shake off its poor reputation and assume a central role in moves to boost the industry.

While acknowledging the unit's lack of resources, tourism experts say it has so far failed to represent their interests adequately within the Commission or to promote business on a world-wide basis.

Both within and outside the Commission, there is a growing recognition that the best way to prevent further erosion of the bloc's share of the market is through cooperation.

A Green Paper launched last year revealed that an overwhelming majority of people in the tourism trade wanted more joint action in this field. Taking that plea on board, Papoutsis launched his campaign, quickly winning the backing of MEPs and, most recently, the Commission.

But even with that support, the Greek Commissioner will still find it difficult to convince member states of the need to hand over power in this area to Brussels. So far, according to diplomatic sources, not one of them supports the idea.