The European Commission has issued a report on compliance with and the application of the air passenger rights Regulation. The Commission has now given airlines and member states six months to correct the situation. The application of the Regulation in Finland is monitored by the Consumer Agency, the Civil Aviation Authority and the Consumer Dispute Board. The air passenger rights Regulation, which came into force in February 2005, concerns situations in which a flight has been overbooked, cancelled or delayed or a passenger has been downgraded. In such situations an airline may have to reimburse the price of a flight or reroute a passenger under comparable transport conditions. The Regulation also requires that an airline take care of passengers by arranging meals and accommodation. An airline may also have to pay a passenger fixed compensation if a flight is cancelled or boarding is denied for some other reason. Compensation does not have to be paid, however, if a cancellation occurs in extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken. According to the Commission, airlines have not always informed consumers of their rights adequately. Problems have likewise occurred in arranging meals and accommodation. It is also possible that airlines play the exceptional circumstances card too often in order to avoid paying compensation. In Finland consumers can complain to the Consumer Dispute Board if they believe an airline has not complied with the Regulation. The board can then issue a recommendation. The Consumer Agency is responsible for monitoring that airlines' practices are in line with the Regulation and that airlines provide the required information at airports. The European Consumer Centre Finland, which operates in connection with the Consumer Agency, assists consumers in disputes involving an airline operating in another EU member state. Commission's press release