The proposal to be put to the vote today fills in the loopholes in the current legislation by extending the scope of the directive to cover not only timeshare but also long-term holiday products, resale and exchange of timeshare.

Timeshare comprises the time-limited use of properties or other assets under contracts covering a period of more than one year, through which the consumer acquires, on payment of a fee, the right to use one or more accommodation facilities on more than one occasion.

− The next item is the report (A6-0195/2008) by Toine Manders, on behalf of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, on the proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of consumers in respect of certain aspects of timeshare, long-term holiday products, resale and exchange (COM(2007)0303 - C6-0159/2007 - 2007/0113(COD)).

Included are hardware and software consultancy and implementation services; maintenance and repair of computers and peripheral equipment; disaster recovery services, provision of advice and assistance on matters related to the management of computer resources; analysis, design and programming of systems ready to use (including web page development and design), and technical consultancy related to software; development, production, supply and documentation of customised software, including operating systems made on order for specific users; systems maintenance and other support services, such as training provided as part of consultan ...[+++]cy; data-processing services, such as data entry, tabulation and processing on a time-sharing basis; web page hosting services (i.e. the provision of server space on the Internet to host clients’ web pages); and computer facilities management.

Also included are hardware and software consultancy and implementation services; maintenance and repair of computers and peripheral equipment; disaster recovery services, provision of advice and assistance on matters related to the management of computer resources; analysis, design and programming of systems ready to use (including web page development and design), and technical consultancy related to software; licences to use non-customised software; development, production, supply and documentation of customised software, including operating systems made on order for specific users; systems maintenance and other support services, ...[+++] such as training provided as part of consultancy; data-processing services, such as data entry, tabulation and processing on a time-sharing basis; web page hosting services (i.e., the provision of server space on the Internet to host clients’ web pages); and computer facilities management.

28. Recommends the development of an EU-wide recognised accreditation scheme for resorts and operators guaranteeing to the consumer that the resort/operator fully complies with the provisions of Directive 94/47/EC and any subsequent revision, so that best practice can be instituted and acknowledged among all timeshare practitioners; such an accreditation scheme could be developed in agreement with the sector and with the ethical codes already drawn up by it, as an element of their self-regulation;