Motorcycle Manufacturers ask European Commission to adopt realism in drafting new technical rules

March 28, 2010 - PRLog -- Brussels – Gathering for their annual General Assembly hosted by FEBIAC in Brussels, ACEM, the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers, urged the European Commission to consider market acceptance and flexible objectives in finalising the future technical regulation of Powered Two- and Three-Wheelers due in the second half of 2010.

As the European Commission prepares to unveil new rules for a technical regulation of motorcycles, scooters and mopeds ACEM reiterate their request for a long-term vision with regulatory stability and simplification in mind and urge policy-makers to take stock of the latest market developments.

The economic crisis triggered a drop in registrations of Powered Two-Wheelers (PTWs) since the last quarter of 2008. In 2009 the EU PTW sales fell by -25%. The first two months of 2010 recorded a -6.5%* compared to the same period of 2009, indicating a lingering crisis.

“If recovery in the PTW sector is to be achieved”, said Stefan Pierer, ACEM President and KTM CEO, “then the upcoming European regulatory framework for PTWs must acknowledge the effects of the crisis on the sector while ensuring regulatory stability and providing the industry with a sensible timeframe and sufficient flexibility to develop new products meeting customers’ demand.”

While most of the Motorcycle Industry weathered the storm, the outlook for 2010 still remains highly uncertain, with the phasing out of the very limited scrapping schemes adopted by Italy and Spain.

In this context, as Europe is looking for an exit from the crisis, cooperation between policy-makers and industry becomes even more crucial to supporting businesses in Europe and enabling them to confidently look ahead. Despite positive cooperation with DG Enterprise, some fundamental elements still need to be tackled for this regulation to be workable for the sector.

Next to regulatory stability in the EU, European motorcycle manufacturers seek a level playing-field on the global market and ask for greater attention from policy-makers to ensure equal conditions for all manufacturers, including those from emerging economies, both in Europe and on extra-European markets.

During the General Assembly Mr Hendrik von Kuenheim, CEO of BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna as well as President of IMMA, the International Motorcycle Manufacturers Association, was unanimously elected as Vice President of ACEM, while Mr Leo Francesco Mercanti, Piaggio Director of Engineering and Product Development & Racing, was appointed for a another term as Vice President. ACEM furthermore welcomed a new Member: MOTED, the Turkish Motorcycle Industry Association.



Quote:
Stefan Pierer, ACEM President and CEO of Austrian manufacturer KTM Sport Motorcycles: “In order to bounce back from the crisis through new opportunities, Europe will have to address these fundamental issues through enhanced cooperation between policy makers and industry.  “Making it happen” is indeed the main message of President Barroso’s new flagship strategy “EU2020”.  It was also the main headline of last ACEM Conference and we are willing to do our part”.


* ACEM collects and analyses market registrations of 18 European countries. The indicated figure refers to Austria, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Spain, UK, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and Sweden.

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ACEM, the Motorcycle Industry in Europe, is the professional body representing the interests and combined skills of 12 powered two wheelers (PTWs) manufacturers producing a total of 26 motorcycle and moped brands, and 15 national associations out of 13 European countries, guaranteeing jobs to over 150.000 people. The aggregated turnover of the PTW sector (manufacturing, plus upstream and downstream activities) amounted to Euro 34 billion in 2006. Manufacturers alone account for Euro 7 billion. The members of ACEM are responsible for 90% of the production and up to 80% of the European powered two-wheeler (PTW) market.