EU261 Reform 2026: What Changes — and What Applies Today?
The EU has adopted the first major overhaul of air passenger rights Regulation 261/2004 in over two decades — but none of it applies yet. This tracker shows what was decided in July 2026, what still governs your flight today, and when that changes. We update it at every step of the procedure.
Where the reform stands right now
Last updated:
- 15 June 2026 — Parliament and Council negotiators agree on a joint text in conciliation (PE-CONS 39/26)
- 7 July 2026 — The European Parliament approves the joint text with 646 votes to 12 (3 abstentions)
- 13 July 2026 — The Council gives its final approval — the reform is adopted
- Next step — Signature and publication in the Official Journal of the EU — still pending
- + 20 days — The regulation enters into force 20 days after publication
- + 12 months — The new rules start applying 12 months after entry into force — realistically in the second half of 2027
Status last checked against the official EU procedure file 2013/0072(COD) on 22 July 2026. As of that date, the reform had not yet been published in the Official Journal.
Did the EU change flight compensation rules in 2026?
Yes — the EU adopted a reform of air passenger rights Regulation 261/2004 in July 2026: the European Parliament approved the final text on 7 July 2026 with 646 votes to 12, and the Council gave its final approval on 13 July 2026. But none of the new rules apply yet. The reform still has to be published in the EU's Official Journal, and its provisions only start applying about 12 months after entry into force — realistically in the second half of 2027. Until then, today's rules remain fully in force: EUR 250 to EUR 600 compensation from 3 hours of delay at the final destination, with claim deadlines set by national law. The adopted text keeps the 3-hour threshold and the amounts. It adds a 9-month window for filing your claim with the airline, a 30-day duty for the airline to respond, information duties within 96 hours, rerouting after 3 hours, and clearer hand-baggage pricing.
What applies today (until about H2 2027)?
If your flight was delayed, cancelled or overbooked in 2025 or 2026, the current rules apply to your claim — in full and unchanged by the reform. This is what Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 provides for today:
| Delay | EUR 250, 400 or 600 depending on flight distance, from 3 hours of delay at the final destination |
|---|---|
| Cancellation | Same amounts — unless the airline informed you more than 14 days before departure or extraordinary circumstances apply |
| Denied boarding | Compensation for involuntary denied boarding, for example due to overbooking |
| Deadlines | Set by national law — for example 3 years in Germany (counted from the end of the year of the flight), 6 years in England & Wales, 1 year in Belgium |
| Scope | All departures from EU/EEA airports, plus flights into the EU operated by EU carriers |
What did the EU actually decide in July 2026?
The adopted text keeps the 3-hour compensation threshold and today's amounts of EUR 250, 400 and 600. The higher thresholds discussed in the Council in 2025 — compensation only from 4 or 6 hours, at EUR 300 and 500 — did not survive the conciliation procedure and are not part of the adopted reform. Many older articles still cite those figures; they are outdated.
The path to adoption
- 5 June 2025 — The Council agrees its negotiating position — including 4/6-hour thresholds and EUR 300/500 amounts
- 2 October 2025 — The Council formally adopts its first-reading position
- 21 January 2026 — Parliament amends the Council position in second reading — the file goes to conciliation
- 15 June 2026 — The Conciliation Committee agrees a joint text (PE-CONS 39/26)
- 7 July 2026 — Parliament approves the joint text: 646 votes to 12
- 13 July 2026 — The Council gives its final approval — the reform is adopted and awaits publication
What are the key changes for passengers?
The new obligations only start applying about 12 months after the regulation enters into force — realistically in the second half of 2027. Until then, the "Today" column is the law.
| Rule | Today | From about H2 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Delay threshold | 3 hours at the final destination | 3 hours — unchanged |
| Compensation amounts | EUR 250 / 400 / 600 by distance | Unchanged — but a new Article 7(2) allows halving long-haul compensation in certain rerouting scenarios |
| Filing your claim | No EU-wide filing deadline with the airline; court deadlines follow national law | Claims are filed with the airline within 9 months of the departure date |
| Airline response | No fixed EU-wide deadline | The airline must pay or give a reasoned refusal within 30 days |
| Payout | No prescribed procedure | Compensation "upon request" — passengers must actively file a claim |
| Information duties | General duty to inform passengers about their rights | The airline must inform you about your rights and the claim procedure within 96 hours |
| Rerouting | Rerouting at the earliest opportunity | The airline must offer rerouting within 3 hours of the disruption |
| Hand baggage | Not regulated in EU261 | A small personal item on board is guaranteed free of charge; charges for other hand baggage must be shown transparently |
Does the 9-month deadline replace national time limits?
No — the adopted text does not state that. The new Article 7(5) creates a filing window with the airline: passengers submit their compensation claim to the operating carrier within 9 months of the departure date, and the carrier must pay or give a reasoned refusal within 30 days. It is a procedural rule for handling claims with the airline.
At the same time, Recital 38 of the adopted text expressly preserves passengers' access to the courts. How the 9-month window interacts with national limitation periods — such as Germany's 3-year rule — is not regulated in the text itself. Under today's law, only the national deadlines matter; once the new rules apply, filing with the airline within 9 months will be the procedure the regulation itself describes.
When exactly do the new rules start applying?
Two dates matter, and they are often mixed up. The regulation enters into force 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the EU — as of 22 July 2026, that publication is still pending. Applicability comes later: the new rules only start applying 12 months after entry into force, which realistically points to the second half of 2027. "In force" does not mean "applies" — until the end of the transition period, claims follow today's law.
This page is a living document: we update it whenever the procedure moves. Next expected step: publication in the Official Journal.
Frequently asked questions about the EU261 reform
Do I lose my claim if I wait for the new rules?
Which rules apply to a flight in December 2026?
Was EU flight compensation reduced?
When will the reform be published in the Official Journal?
Primary sources
- European Parliament, press release of 7 July 2026: "European Parliament achieves upgrade to air passenger rights"
- European Parliament, adopted text P10_TA(2026)0238 (third reading, 7 July 2026)
- Council of the EU, press release of 13 July 2026: "Council gives final clearance for stronger air passenger rights"
- EU legislative procedure file 2013/0072(COD) (Legislative Observatory)
All sources last checked on 22 July 2026.
Your flight today falls under the current rules
Check your flight for free — no sign-up needed. The check applies today's EU261 rules: depending on distance and delay, the regulation provides for EUR 250 to 600.
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The information on this page is for general guidance only and does not constitute legal advice. No liability is accepted for accuracy or completeness. For complex cases, we recommend consulting a lawyer.