[EDITORIAL]
ACEM's General Assembly in Gijon
ACEM, the Motorcycle Industry in Europe, held its annual General Assembly in Spain, on May 2 and 3
ACEM members gathering for a group portrait
The organizer of this year's event was Suzuki. It is a tradition within ACEM to have its yearly meeting hosted by a different member each year. Juan Carlos Andrés Aguado, Director General of Suzuki Motor España and President of ANESDOR welcomed the delegates of the manufacturers and the national associations who converged in the Principate of Asturias from
13 different European countries.
The General Assembly is held every year in spring, since 1994 when ACEM was founded from the merger of COLIMO (Comité de Liaison de l'Industrie du Motocycle) and ACEM (Association des Constructeurs Européens de Motocycles).
Juan Carlos Andrés
Mr Stefan Pierer, ACEM President and KTM’s CEO, made the keynote speech commenting the market figures. “The PTW market in Europe broke through the threshold of 2 million vehicles in 2006", said Mr Pierer. “At the end of 2007 it is beyond 2,5 million units. This remarkable increase is mainly due to a better statistical coverage of extra-EU moped imports. The trend of the 50cc segment is now positively oriented after 10 consecutive years of shrinkage. The registrations of motorcycles recorded the 5th consecutive positive year with almost +4% and 1,5 million units”.
The increasing participation on PTWs in transport, for leisure or urban mobility, requires ACEM to provide policymakers with the motorcycle industry’s long term vision. To ensure continued growth and prosperity of the sector, the challenge for ACEM members is to make PTWs more sustainable in their mobility considering safety, as well as the environment. "A proactive and creative attitude is necessary to answer these challenges together", said Pierer who invited the industry to define the place PTWs should have in the mobility of tomorrow and develop a roadmap towards those long term objectives, with initiatives at ACEM and manufacturer’s level.
ACEM’s Secretary General, Jacques Compagne prepared a specific presentation, illustrating the activities of the Secretariat and presenting an outlook of impending policy issues that will be part of the agenda of the European Institutions. Furthermore, Mr Compagne’s report focused on the ACEM’s growing network of stakeholders at European level and summarized the campaigns that were implemented during the previous year.
ACEM’s assembly was honored to welcome BMW Motorrad’s new CEO, Mr Hendrik von Kuenheim who entered into post only a few weeks before. It was an excellent opportunity to introduce Mr von Keunheim to ACEM’s activity in Brussels and for the other member to get acquainted to the man who will lead the German motorcycle manufacturer for the next years.
Hendrik von Kuenheim
ACEM's Executive Committee elected Thomas Weber (BMW) as new Vice President. Mr Weber was appointed after his predecessor, Mr Fritz Geri (BMW), moved to another post within the BMW Group. Mr Weber joins President Stefan Pierer and Vice President Leo Francesco Mercanti (PIAGGIO).
Next year ACEM’s General Assembly will be hosted by Ducati at its Bologna facilities, Italy.
[INDEX]
ACEM'S POSITION ON VERTICAL AGREEMENTS BLOCK EXEMPTION
VON KUENHEIM NEW IMMA PRESIDENT
MOTOR VEHICLES RANK SECOND ON RECALLED PRODUCTS LIST
SUZUKI PLANT IN GIJON: AN INDUSTRIAL EPIC