Collective Commentary about the New Package Travel Directive

700 COLLECTIVE COMMENTARY ABOUT THE NEW PACKAGE TRAVEL DIRECTIVE administrative structure with regional offices. This technical question was resolved in the sense of the draft bill. The Minister of Tourism, or an official authorized by him, should have the right to delete a tour operator or travel agent from the information system of the National Tourist Registry and they will, upon receiving a signal, made checks on the persons who carry out tourist activities, and on the tourist sites for compliance with the requirements of the law 11 . In case of infringement the relevant to such an inspection protocol of findings should be send to the Commission for Consumer Protection for carrying out a follow-up control and imposing sanctions 12 . This solution appears in fact to favour more the administrative repartition of powers than the effectiveness of the controlling procedures that now have to be divided between the two administrations with unclear results. On 19 th April 2018 the bill has been adopted in second and final reading by the National Assembly. Most of its provisions entered into force on the day of its promulgation in the State Gazette (4 th May 2018) while the remaining part entered into force on 1 st July 2018 13 . 3. DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF DIRECTIVE (EU) 2015/2302 IN BULGARIA In the amended Tourism Act the provisions transposing Directive (EU) 2015/2302 are systemized in Chapter 7 which is dedicated to the tour-operators and travel agent activity. Its Section I deals with the conditions and procedure for carrying out tour-operators and travel agent activity, Section II transpose the provisions concerning the travel package contracts and linked travel services, and Section III transpose the provisions concerning the liability of tour operators and traders who facilitate the provision of related travel services in case of insolvency and bankruptcy. The generally formulated scope of Directive (EU) 2015/2302 received a specific completion with the specification that the new provisions will apply also to travel packages and linked travel services for children and students, which are to be formed only by a tour operator and are offered for sale by 11 Art. 176 of the Tourism Act. 12 Art. 176 (4) of the Tourism Act. 13 § 122 of the Transitional and concluding provisions to the Act amending and supplementing the Tourism Act (State Gazette No. 37/4.5.2018).