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Sunday 20 December 2015

FEMA

Major breakthrough as EU told that "future transport policies and regulations must stimulate and facilitate the use of motorcycles"

On September 10th 2015 the European Parliament adopted motorcycling MEP Wim van de Camp’s "Report on the implementation of the 2011 White Paper on Transport: taking stock and the way forward towards sustainable mobility."


 Wim Van de Camp's report on the implementation of the EU Commission's 2011 White Paper on Transport officially and formally places policies that "stimulate and facilitate the use of PTWs" on the European transport policy and regulatory agenda

In the report motorcycles are seen as a way to "solve the problems in urban transport by tackling congestion and parking problems", as well as providing a solution for "small logistics." The report also states that the specific design and arising benefits of these vehicles should be "adequately taken into account and reflected in EU transport legislation and guidelines."
In Mr Van de Camp’s EU Parliamentary report, the EU Commission's 2011 White Paper is evaluated with recommendations given for the next years.
Although this report has no legislative characteristics itself, it will be a reference on which "many regulations in the wide area of transport" will be based on a moving forward basis. In it motorcycles are clearly identified as having a valuable transport policy contribution to make.
This means that using motorcycles should be "stimulated and facilitated." Also that motorcycles and other powered two-wheelers should be considered when new roads are designed and existing ones maintained or redesigned.


European law-makers have been forced to acknowledge that motorcycles have a valuable and legitimate contribution to make

The European Parliament also calls for actions to reduce accidents among vulnerable road users, in particular users of two-wheeled vehicles among others. It also calls for better road design and maintenance throughout Europe.
FEMA’s General Secretary Dolf Willigers said: "This is the first time that the European Parliament [officially and formally] recognizes the importance of motorcycles for transport. We have been saying for a long time that motorcycles are part of the solution for urban congestion, environment and parking problems.