170 LEGAL IMPACTS OF COVID-19 IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY consisted of the possibility to temporarily derogate Regulation No. 261 and to have the possibility of issuing vouchers instead of reimbursing passengers with cash. The letter reads that the goal of the EU and of its Member States should be to preserve the structure of the European market and the aviation sector, beyond the current crisis, by considering and balancing, at the same time, the interests and the necessary protection of the passengers. Providing for the temporary emission of vouchers is possible and acceptable for consumers, provided that certain key principles are followed: transparent information to passengers; nondiscrimination; common and uniform duration of the vouchers; and maximum flexibility as to their use and a clear right to reimbursement, at the end of the validity period of the voucher, in cases in which the voucher is not used. As of today, we are not aware of any reply by the Commission. In conclusion, such initiative confirms that the only possible way to deal with the current emergency is that the EU Member States take common and shared solutions in order to balance the interests of the sector and that of the passengers.
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