Collective Commentary about the New Package Travel Directive

ITALY | FRANCESCO MORANDI 905 perform”, consistent with the art. 1218 of the Civil Code, which includes the hendiadys “failure to perform or improper performance” used by the Directive. Through a closing provision – which is however likely to take on a broader scope in a systematic interpretation perspective – the Italian legislator then established that the Consumer Code 11 provisions would apply for all that is not provided for by the regulations on “Package travel contracts”. In this regard, it is worth noting how, pursuant to art. 2, par. 3, of the Directive (EU) 2015/2302, European Union law “does not affect national general contract law such as the rules on the validity, formation or effect of a contract, insofar as general contract law aspects are not regulated in this Directive”. 2. THE KEY INNOVATIONS INTRODUCED IN THE ITALIAN TOURISM CODE Taking into account the reduced margin of discretion given to the Member States through art. 4 of the Directive (EU) 2015/2302, in the rare cases in which the possibility of choice was offered, the Italian legislator has completed a very complex implementation process 12 . Without betraying the “political” objective of remaining as faithful as possible to the wording of European Union regulations, a significant effort was made to respect the legal institutions present in the national law, without prejudice to the further rights already provided for by the Tourism Code that protect the 11 Art.. 32, par. 3, of the Tourism Code expressly refers to Legislative Decree 6 September 2005, No. 206 (so called “Consumer Code”). With regard to the complex relationships and the difficulty of coordination between the rules on the package travel contract and the guarantees given to the consumer, better see notes 22 and 24. Concerning the evolution of the links between Consumer Code and Tourism Code see V. Cuffaro, Un codice “consumato” (codice del consumo, credito ai consumatori e codice del turismo) , in Corr. giur. , 2011, p. 1191. 12 For a first overview see the contributions published in Juris tourisme , 213/2018, p. 21, and in particular V. Augros, L’expérience européenne: tour d’horizon et réflections sur la transposition de la directive , ivi, p. 21; C. Torres, L’Europe à l’avant garde de la protection des touristes: l’example portugais , ivi, p. 24; Morandi F., L’expérience italienne , ivi, p. 28; F.S. Melgosa Arcos, Application de la directive en Espagne: una transposition tardive , ivi, p. 31. For a first analysis of the discipline introduced in Austria and Germany see, respectively, S. Keiler, Bundesgesetz über Pauschalreisen und verbundene Reiseleistungen (Pauschalreisegesetz – PRG) , in S. Keiler – A. Klauser (eds.), Österreichisches und Europäisches Verbraucherrecht. Kommentar, Verlag, Österreich, 2018, and E. Führich, Das neue Pauschalreiserecht. Umsetzung der Pauschalreisertchtlinie (EU) 2015/2302 in deutsches Recht , in Neue Juristische Wochenschrift , 2017, p. 2945; E. Führich, Basiswissen Reiserecht Grundriss des Pauschal und Individualreiserechts , Vahlen, München, 2018; E. Führich – A. Staudinger, Reiserecht. Handbuch des Pauschalreise–, Reisevermittlungs–, Reiseversicherungs- und Individualreiserechts , C.H. Beck, München, VIII ed., 2018; A. Staudinger – R. Ruks, Das neue Pauschalreiserecht – Auswirkungen für Veranstalter undVertrieb , in ReiseRecht aktuell , 2018, p. 2. The French experience is analyzed in L. Jégouzo – C. Lachièze (eds.), La directive “travel” made in France (I) e (II) , in Juris tourisme , 212/2018, p. 16, and 213/2018, p. 15.