FIM Release
The final vote of the European Parliament (EU), meeting in full session in Strasbourg, has ratified the earlier vote taken in Brussels in July 2015 on the report by its Committee on Transport and Tourism on implementation of the 2011 European Commission White Paper. The report takes stock of progress made by the European Union in terms of transport policy since 2011 and presents proposals for the coming years.
For the FIM, the key statement in the report reads as follows:
“Motorcycles play a significant role in sustainable mobility, especially in urban areas where they contribute to tackling congestion and parking problems.”
This is amply borne out by the situation in Rome, where 700,000 motorcycles are in regular use, and in Barcelona which has the second largest number of powered two wheelers. In north European cities too, we are witnessing increasing use of motorcycles.
The European Parliament now calls for more action to improve roads. The focus is not just on highways, but also on urban and rural roads where ninety percent of fatal collisions take place.
Other proposals include improved training for professional drivers, and promotion of post-licence training for all road users. The FIM welcomes this, as many of our member federations and allied organisations promote additional training for riders. It is good that at last this type of work is getting the recognition it deserves.
“The White Paper is not a new law”, FIM Director of Public Affairs, John Chatterton-Ross said of the document. “But it sets the framework for the European institutions when it comes to legislation. This is welcome news for Europe’s 38 million riders whose interests have for too long been ignored. This is a powerful message from the Parliament for riders of two-wheelers. When new legislation is proposed, be it at European or national level, if it is against motorcycling it is against this policy.”
He added: “The FIM congratulates the rapporteur for this dossier, motorcycling MEP Mr Wim van de Camp from the Netherlands. This document is the result of many hundreds of hours of work over the past months.”
John Chatterton-Ross – FIM Director of Public Affairs