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GBTA Continues to Ensure the Voice of the Business Travel Sector is Heard in Brussels
Following a successful first GBTA Sustainability Summit and GBTA Europe Conference in partnership with VDR, GBTA has continued with its advocacy efforts in Brussels to ensure that the voice of the business travel sector is well represented on key issues.
These meetings are the continuation of the last seven years of GBTA advocating for the priorities of the business travel sector with members of the EU Parliament and the Commission, as well as partner stakeholders, to strengthen relationships on the ground.
Over the course of two days Shane Downey, Vice President for Government Relations, and Catherine Logan, Regional Vice President for EMEA, met with several European stakeholders and influencers in Brussels, including the Permanent Representations of Sweden and Spain to the European Union, each of which will hold the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union for six months in the coming year. Discussions around the table focused on the sectors priorities for the next year, and the need for improvements to the Single European Sky and passenger rights.
Next, GBTA met with two different units within DG MOVE, the European Commission's transport department, each responsible for key legislation coming up in the next few months.
The first meeting focused exclusively on air passenger rights. GBTA drew the Commission's attention to the importance of providing clarity for passengers, airlines, and intermediaries in the event of delays and cancellations and highlighted the significance of protecting airlines and passengers in the event of force majeure. The second session focused on slot allocation on the continent, and production and distribution capacity for sustainable aviation fuels.
GBTA also met with its partners in Europe, namely Airlines for Europe (A4E), with whom the discussion focused on the optimism of the aviation industry to achieve its sustainability goals and with eu travel tech, to exchange views on the importance of multimodality in the coming months. The final meeting took place with Trainline, an inspiring cross-border multimodal ticketing platform for trains and buses that proves that multimodality is indeed possible and should be the goal.
Learn more about GBTA Advocacy efforts.
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