The TRAN (Transport and Tourism) Committee of MEPs is to hold a public hearing, involving two expert panels, on roadworthiness checks and road safety as well as their impact on citizens and business.
This committee is dealing with the Commission’s proposals for European wide Road Worthiness Testing (RWT), registration documents for vehicles and roadside inspections of commercial vehicles.
For motorcycles the proposal for European wide Road Worthiness Testing (RWT) includes mandatory Road Worthiness Testing for L3e (that’s low-performance, medium and large size) motorcycles!
Although the UK has Road Worthiness Testing known as the MoT, not all European countries test Powered Two Wheelers (Motorcycles – Scooters – Mopeds), thus, there was strong lobbying from rider organisations within these countries against the proposal.
There have been suggestions that if the proposal were accepted, this would change our UK MoT to a “Super MoT” for motorcycles, although there is no evidence that this is the case.
In December 2012, the Council of the European Union, within its general approach, did not retain the Commission’s proposal to extend periodic tests to motorcycles.
On the day of this public hearing, the TRAN committee is scheduled to discuss the proposal, while the IMCO (Internal Market and Consumer Protection) and the ITRE (Industry, Research and Energy) Committees are also scheduled to offer their opinions on the roadworthiness proposal.
It looks like both the TRAN Committee meeting and the public hearing, will be held in the European Parliament in the Jozsef Antall building on the afternoon of the 22nd January 2013.
Ironically or not, on the same day in Brussels, the 9th ACEM – The Motorcycle Industry in Europe – Conference will be held (between 12 and 3.30 p.m.) – it is entitled “Motorcycling Matters”. Perhaps a quick dash from one building to the other would be in order. As ACEM comments – “A growing number of European citizens use PTWs on a daily basis to beat the traffic and find a parking place in city centres.”
It will be interesting to hear what the committees’ opinions are and the outcome of the public hearing regarding motorcycles.
For example, whether they agree with the deletion from the European Commission’s proposal for mandatory Road Worthiness Testing for motorcycles as proposed by the European Council!
Links Information
TRAN Committee website – Click Here
9th ACEM – The Motorcycle Industry in Europe – Conference – Click Here
All the presentations from the TRAN Committee public hearing are now available – Click Here
Or see below:
TRAN – Transport and Tourism
22-01-2013
Roadworthiness Package
Presentations – PANEL 1
Mr Antonio Avenoso, European Transport Safety Council – Click Here
Ms Ann De Vries, Euro Controle Route – Click Here
Mr Thomas Aubel and Mr Camille Gonderinger, CITA – Click Here
Presentations – PANEL II
Mr Antonio Perlot, Motorcycle Industry in Europe – Click Here
Mr Erwin Kirschner, ACEA – Click Here
Mr Neil Pattemore, EGEA – Click Here
Mr Marc Billiet, International Road Transport Union – Click Here
Mr John Ellis, Northwest Automotive Alliance – Click Here
Ms Laurianne Krid, FIA – Click Here
Video of the meeting still available go to 16:24:00 – Click Here
FEMA Reports on TRAN Committee Meeting
In the European Parliament the responsible Transport Committee has started the discussions on the proposal for a new regulation on roadworthiness testing (RWT). Upon invitation industry stakeholders presented their views to MEPs and most lobbied in favour of strict and frequent RWT in Europe. Only the car drivers association FIA expressed doubts about the effectiveness of extended RWT.
FEMA (Federation ofEuropean Motorcyclists Associations) was not invited to speak.
The Federation of European Motorcyclists’ Associations (FEMA) had asked TRAN Chairmen Brian Simpson as well as Werner Kuhn, TRAN Rapporteur on RWT, to be included into the list of speakers but has not received a reply. The association of car users FIA therefore resulted as the only body representing the concerns of European citizens. All other speakers represented car and motorcycle manufacturers (ACEA and ACEM), the RWT industry (CITA and EGEA) and road transport companies (IRU). The ETSC was presented as “Civil society organization” but is in fact representing national road safety institutes as well as test centres (e.g. TÜV).
The views of FEMA
FEMA is disappointed that the biased positions of the testing industry are still being taken into account while the views of riders remain ignored. The prejudiced studies and data provided by CITA and its members have already been taken for granted by the European Commission. The European Parliament as the only legislative body in Europe directly representing European citizens must not make the same mistake.
The countries of Europe are different. In Germany it is possible to race on a motorway without speed limit, riding in Sweden is only possible during several months of the year due to weather conditions. Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands have better accident statistics than Germany – even though they do not have RWT for motorcycles.
Along with the Council FEMA calls to turn the proposed regulation into a directive and to leave the decision to the Member States on whether and how often mopeds, scooters and motorcycles are to be presented for periodic testing.
Original Source – Read the full article at FEMA – Click Here
European Parliament press release on the TRAN Committee meeting – Tougher vehicle checks more popular with manufacturers than with users……..
MEPs quizzed vehicle experts on Tuesday about what benefits could reasonably be expected from new EU-wide minimum standards for technical checks on cars, powered two-wheelers and commercial vehicles including vans and trailers. Speakers agreed that tampering and mileage fraud as well as accidents caused by technical failures would decrease – but by less than the European Commission hoped.
“There is no sound evidence that increasing the frequency of checks (to 4 years, 2 years and then every year) will help”, said Mrs Laurianne Krid of the International Automobile Federation (FIA), arguing that most cars already have built-in electronic equipment to signal defects and that this prevents accidents.
Ms Krid questioned the Commission’s view that 6 % of accidents could be avoided by stricter safety checks. FIA figures suggest that only 1% of accidents are primarily caused by technical problems, she said.
Manufacturers’ associations backed the aim of harmonising checks, contending that the new rules would encourage better maintenance of vehicles and discourage tampering, thanks to a national electronic registration database.
Speaking for commercial road hauliers, Mr Marc Billiet criticized the lack of harmonised test results, which is due to the variety of equipment and inspector training methods. “We need a single approach to enforcement and mutual recognition of certificates”, he added.
Several MEPs raised concerns about increasing costs for vehicle owners, but also for authorities which would be obliged to invest in control equipment and better training for inspectors.
Next steps
Parliament’s rapporteurs on the threefold “roadworthiness package”, Mr Kuhn (EPP, DE), Mrs Sehnalova (S&D, CZ) and Mrs Savisaar (ALDE, ET) will prepare draft reports for a vote in the Transport and Tourism Committee scheduled for the end of May.
Original Source – European Parliament – Click Here
Did the European Commission representative really say, good civilised countries inspect them (PTWs i.e. motorcycles – scooters – mopeds)? If so then here in Northern Ireland we are civilised…………..
Video of yesterdays public hearing at the TRAN Committee – Click Here
Library of the European Parliament
After yesterday’s TRAN Committee Public Hearing on RWT, at which FIA stated that they represent 8 million motorcyclists, we have found the web page of the Library of the European Union on the European Commissions Road Worthiness package.
From links to the European Commissions presentation of the three legislative proposals contained in the Roadworthiness Package, to overviews, analysis, Stakeholder views, NGO views, Producers views, Statistics and EU Programmes and projects.
Library of the European Parliament – Click Here
What the European Council wants – http://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/13/st05/st05018.en13.pdf
Page 89 – Motorcycles – The vehicle categories which are out of the scope of this Directive are included for guidance.
However, there is representation of “Civil Society” by the ETSC – European Transport Safety Council.
They are the people that want ISA (throttle control), Alcolocks, restrictions on motorcycles and so forth.
It makes you wonder what happened to FEMA – the so called representative of motorcyclists in Europe.
These national organisations are spending tens of thousands of Euros for representation in Brussels but they are definitely not getting a bang for their bucks.
The roadworthiness package – public hearing – DRAFT programme
In the draft programme under – Impact on citizens and business – The motorcycle manufacturers via the Motorcycle Industry in Europe (ACEM) get to present their views.
Drivers’ views are represented by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).
However in this draft programme there is no representation being presented of the riders’ view.
This would appear to be a somewhat outrageous situation, considering the roadworthiness package is proposing to make Road Worthiness Testing mandatory for motorcycles (PTW – Powered Two Wheelers – Motorcycles – Scooters – Mopeds).
The roadworthiness package – public hearing – DRAFT programme – Click Here