Live from Brussels – Issue n°104

Jul 14, 2021

A message from Mr. Jens Zimmer Christensen, President of HOTREC, and Ms. Marie Audren, Director General of HOTREC

Dear readers,

We publish this issue at a crucial time for the industry. This year’s summer season has officially started, and European hospitality’s hopes of recovery strongly rely on the outcome of the upcoming months.

There is no denying it: now more than ever, establishments need to remain open to remain viable. The rapid rollout of vaccination programmes across Europe and the launch of the EU Digital Certificate are grounds for optimism. As always, we believe that enhanced coordination on all fronts at the EU level will translate into a stronger response to the health crisis.

The last few weeks showed us that a ‘new normal’ is within reach: establishments are gradually and safely reopening; Europe continues to open its doors to more third countries, and we at HOTREC had the pleasure to attend our first in-person conferences since over one year. ‘Ecofin’ adopted yesterday 12 national Recovery plans and we hope that more proposals will follow and prioritise hospitality.

Current trends however remain worrying, and the surge of new variants across Europe must not be underestimated. The truth is, we are not out of the woods yet, and respecting the existing national health and safety protocols will be crucial to define the next steps towards recovery. But this is not all.

On 1 July, we welcomed the Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council, and we were delighted to hear that their number one priority will be laying the foundation for a stronger and more resilient Europe. In this issue, we had the pleasure to interview Deputy Ambassador Tamara Weingerl-Požar, whom we warmly thank for her insight. HOTREC believes that joining forces with the Presidency will be key to achieving our shared goal of a swift and sustainable recovery.

In other news, Europe’s efforts towards a digital, fairer, and greener Union are steadily progressing. Parliamentary talks around the Digital Services and Markets Acts are ongoing, with rapporteurs sharing their proposals with committee members. The transition to a more sustainable Europe also seems on its way: we recently replied to a consultation on the Renovation Wave for Europe and published our position on the initiative.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank our members and our readers for their ever-growing support.

We wish you all a safe, and well-deserved summer!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Interview

Discussing the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council with Ambassador Tamara Weingerl-Požar

Digital

European Parliament rapporteurs issue draft reports on Digital Services and Markets Acts

Food

EU Code of Conduct on Responsible Food Business and Marketing Practices launched

Live from the network

Statistics

European Commission publishes first statistics on short-stay accommodation

Sustainability

Tourism

What’s new in HOTREC’s membership

HotelStars Union (HSU) reaches next level

Interview

Discussing the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council with Ambassador Tamara Weingerl-Požar

Ambassador Tamara Weingerl-Požar is the Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Slovenia to the EU. Born in Koper, Slovenia, she started working in diplomacy after obtaining her Master’s degree at the University of Cambridge. She has 22 years of professional experience, with a focus on EU and international energy affairs.

Digital

European Parliament rapporteurs issue draft reports on Digital Services and Markets Acts

Six months after the European Commission put forward its proposals for a Digital Services Act (DSA) and a Digital Markets Act (DMA), Members of the European Parliament appointed as rapporteurs have unveiled their draft proposals to fellow committee members.

Food

EU Code of Conduct on Responsible Food Business and Marketing Practices launched

On 5 July 2021, the European Commission officially launched the EU Code of Conduct on Responsible Food Business and Marketing Practices as part of the EU Farm to Fork Strategy.

Live from the network

Bringing back safe conviviality: HOTREC, Responsible Party and ESN sign declaration

43rd Cyprus hotel Summit & Exhibition

On 29 June 2021, Mr. Jens Zimmer Christensen, President of HOTREC, joined the annual summit of the Cyprus Hotel Association: a key event for the Cypriot hospitality sector and a great opportunity to discuss the latest local and international trends.

Glass value chain and hospitality: supporting each other for a faster recovery

On 30 June 2021, a devoting session discussed the topic: “How can the glass value chain best support the HORECA sector’s sustainable recovery”? As the sector is a major consumption channel for products packed in glass, the event assessed the overall impact of the crisis for brands, HORECA operators, and the glass packaging collection & recycling value chain, and identified what measures need to be put in place to ensure the sustainable recovery of the HORECA sector.

Statistics

European Commission publishes first statistics on short-stay accommodation

Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, has published key data on short-stay accommodation booked via four private platforms active in the tourism sector. This is a result of the March 2020 agreement between the Commission and Airbnb, Booking, Expedia Group and Tripadvisor, which began collaboration between these platforms and Eurostat.

Sustainability

Council issues conclusions on sustainable development

On 22 June 2021, the Council approved conclusions reaffirming the EU’s strong commitment towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable development Goals (SDGs).

A renovation wave for Europe: towards greener buildings, creating jobs and improving lives

In October 2020, HOTREC warmly welcomed the European Commission Communication on the Renovation Wave initiative and the related Council conclusions. Reaching carbon neutrality in Europe by 2050 will require ambitious energy-efficient buildings and therefore revising the existing legislation. We recently summed up our views on the matter on our position on a renovation wave for Europe.

EU rules on single-use plastics: Commission guidance approved

On 31 May 2021, the European Commission presented its guidance on the EU rules on single-use plastics. These rules aim to reduce marine litter from single-use plastic products and fishing gear and promote the transition to a circular economy.

Tourism

The long journey towards recovery: European hospitality and national recovery plans

During the first ‘Ecofin’ Council meeting under the Slovenian Presidency on 13 July 2021, EU finance ministers finally adopted 12 national recovery plans under the Next Generation EU.

White list updated: Europe steadily reopens its doors to more third countries

On 30 June 2021, Member States’ Ambassadors adopted an updated list of third countries whose residents – vaccinated, tested negative or recovered from Covid-19 – can now travel to the EU for non-essential reasons.

Together, resilient, Europe: Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council begins

On 1 July 2021, Slovenia took over the Presidency of the EU Council – set to continue until the end of December 2021.

Travelling safely: EU Digital Certificate and Council Recommendations pave the way to restored freedom of movement

On 1 July 2021, the EU Digital Covid Certificate entered into force. The certificate is accessible to everyone free of charge in all EU languages and covers Covid-19 vaccination, test and recovery.

What’s new in HOTREC’s membership

HotelStars Union (HSU) reaches next level

The success story of the Hotelstars Union (HSU), a platform of member countries striving for a harmonised hotel star rating, has taken another consistent step.