in-cyprus 6 June 2025
Germany and Spain have blocked attempts to reform EU air passenger rights, effectively killing a Polish-led compromise proposal that would have weakened compensation rules for delayed flights.
The two heavyweight nations, supported by several smaller countries, refused to endorse changes that would have extended the delay threshold for compensation claims and reduced maximum payouts for passengers.
Transport ministers meeting in Luxembourg on Thursday rejected Poland’s proposal despite months of negotiations. Warsaw, which currently chairs EU intergovernmental meetings, had been pushing for agreement on a joint position on air passenger rights reform.
Under current rules, passengers can claim between €250 and €600 in compensation if their flight is delayed for more than three hours, following judgements by the EU’s top courts.
Poland’s compromise proposal sought to extend that threshold to four hours for flights up to 3,500 kilometres, and six hours for longer trips. The existing three-hour limit would have remained only for return trips completed within 24 hours. The proposal would also have reduced the maximum compensation available to disgruntled passengers to just €500.
Polish Transport Minister Dariusz Klimczak, who chaired the talks, acknowledged “difficulties, limited and surmountable” and said bilateral meetings would be held in the afternoon with delegations that opposed the proposal. The last-ditch attempt aimed to secure a deal ahead of the EU Council summit.
The failure represents a significant setback for efforts to reform air passenger rights legislation that has been stalled for months.
