Case law

  • Case Details
    • National ID: C.12.0617.N
    • Member State: Belgium
    • Common Name:link
    • Decision type: Supreme court decision
    • Decision date: 15/05/2014
    • Court: Supreme Court
    • Subject:
    • Plaintiff: Multiservice Reizen NV
    • Defendant: TOTAL Belgium NV
    • Keywords: consumer, travel
  • Directive Articles
    Package Travel Directive, Article 2, 4. Package Travel Directive, Article 2, 5.
  • Headnote
    A package travel contract, concluded between an entity which is not the actual traveller, and the travel organizer, does not fall under the scope of the rules set out in Directive 90/314 (and the Belgian Act of 16 February 1994 which implements this Directive).
  • Facts
    The underlying facts of this case are not mentioned in the judgement, but from the appeal decision it is clear that the plaintiff periodically organized, as a travel organizer, incentive business trips for the defendant. After a certain time, a discussion arose between the parties and they ended up before court for unpaid invoices. Whereas defendant invoked the protection provided by the provisions set out in Directive 90/314 (implemented into Belgian law in the Act of 16 February 1994), the plaintiff stated that this Directive/Act cannot be applied as the contract was concluded between two corporate entities, and not between a traveller (natural person) and the travel organizer.
  • Legal issue
    The Belgian Supreme Court states that only the actual travellers (natural persons) can be considered "traveller" in the sense of the Directive 90/314 and the Belgian implementation Act of 16 February 1994. As a result of this, the Supreme Court concludes that the contract concluded on behalf of the actual travellers, by a corporate entity, does not fall under the scope of the Directive 90/314.
  • Decision

    Does a package travel contract, concluded between an entity which is not the actual traveller, and the travel organizer, fall under the scope of the rules set out in Directive 90/314 (and the Belgian Act of 16 February 1994 which implements this Directive)?

    URL: www.cass.be

    Full text: Full text

  • Related Cases
    Sorted by
    • Member State: Belgium
    • National ID: link
    • Common Name: link
    • Directive Articles: Package Travel Directive, Article 2, 4. Package Travel Directive, Article 2, 5.
    • Decision Date: 08/05/2012

    Belgium link link Package Travel Directive, Article 2, 4. Package Travel Directive, Article 2, 5. Tue May 08 00:00:00 CEST 2012
  • Legal Literature
    Sorted by
    • Member State: Belgium
    • Title: A fruitless journey: when does a traveller's claim lapse?
    • Author: WYSEUR, B.

    Belgium A fruitless journey: when does a traveller's claim lapse? WYSEUR, B.
  • Result
    The Supreme Court overruled the judgement of the appellate court which had decided that the Directive 90/314 does apply to such contracts.