The EU Directive 216/2004 has established common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights.

“This Regulation applies to:
• passengers departing from an airport located in the territory of a Member State to which the EC Treaty applies; and
• passengers departing from an airport located in a third country to an airport situated in the territory of a Member State to which the EC Treaty applies,On condition that the passengers have a confirmed reservation on the flight concerned and, except in the case of cancellation, present themselves for check-in at the time indicated in advance or, if no time is indicated, not later than 45 minutes before the published departure time.”
                                                                                          - EU Directive 216/2004

Further details can be found at the following website:
http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/consumers/protection_of_consumers/l24173_en.htm

A copy of the Directive can be found here:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2004:046:0001:0007:EN:PDFTth

The above is for information only and we can accept no liability whatsoever for the contents or resultant actions taken following the information contained herein.