EU wants to force accommodation brokers like Airbnb to be more transparent

By Timur Kirez

GENEVA (AA) - Short-term accommodation brokers such as Airbnb will have to provide more data to cities and municipalities in Europe in the future, the EU Council of Ministers decided Thursday.

The legislative proposal was previously developed by the EU Commission. In the EU, short-term rentals now account for almost a quarter of all tourist accommodation. The rules in individual states are now to be standardized by Thursday's decision.

Ebba Busch, Swedish minister for energy, business and industry, said the new measure will mean that hosts will have a simple registration process and that platforms will now have uniform rules on the information they must provide.

"Travelers will be better protected against fraud and authorities will be able to regulate based on accurate and reliable data," she added.

Under the new rules, hosts will have to register their rooms, apartments or houses with the authorities. This should also create fair competition for other accommodation providers such as hotels, she said.

Before the new rules can come into force, the EU states and the European Parliament still have to agree on a common position.