Dialogue with the European Commission

Adina Vălean is the European Commissioner for Transport. One of her responsibilities is overseeing compliance with European Commission Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 — “establishing common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights”.

Me - June 2 2020
Dear Ms Vălean,

I am writing to gain some clarification on the European Commission’s position with regard to:

1. The law, known as Government Gazette, A’ 84/13.04.2020, passed by the Greek government in contravention of European Commission Regulation (EC) No 261/2004.

2. The failure of Aegean Airlines to comply with European Commission Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 with respect to providing a full cash refund for flights cancelled by the airline.

3. The failure of the responsible Greek ‘national authority’, the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority, to take action against Aegean Airlines to enforce compliance with European Commission Regulation (EC) No 261/2004.

In the interests of brevity in this email, the details of my case are set out on the website I have created for this matter. It contains transcripts of my communications with Aegean Airlines and with the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority. You can view the website at http://AegeanUnfAir.com.

I have followed the procedure prescribed by the European Commission in respect of requesting a refund from the airline and sending an AIR PASSENGER RIGHTS – EU COMPLAINT FORM, to both the airline and the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority. A copy of the form is attached to this email. Both organisations have rejected my requests for a cash refund citing Government Gazette, A’ 84/13.04.2020.

Untold numbers of other EU citizens, and non-EU citizens alike, have been affected by this illegal and retrospective law which flies in the face of long-standing European law.

I would request a statement from you confirming that the European Commission will take prompt, firm and decisive action to protect the rights of individuals from the actions of an immoral Greek government enacting a law designed to protect its big business at the expense of individuals, many of whom are not even citizens of Greece.

Any further inaction or prevarication will only serve to widen the already-existing division felt by many EU citizens between themselves and the state.

I look forward to your prompt response.

Regards

I am still awaiting a response to this message despite sending chasing emails on June 9 and June 26.

Although I have received no reply, I have heard from people, who’ve signed our petition to the EC, that they have also sent our template email to the Commissioner. I would like to think that this, and the barrage of communication from others, may have influenced the EC’s decision on July 2 to start Infringment Proceedings against Greece following a period of over 3 months of inactivity after its reaffirmation of the provisions of EC261/2004 on March 18.

Unless I hear from the Commissioner for Transport earlier, the next communication will be to send the completed petition to the Commissioner for Transport and, given the lack of any response from Adina Vălean, a copy to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.