[EDITORIAL]
Dear Reader,
at its 5th Annual Conference last December 1st, ACEM announced several strategic measures that will allow the Motorcycle Industry to respond to society's most urgent demands. As we are confident that our first goal of fitting 50% of PTWs with advanced braking systems will be obtained by 2010, we have strenghtened our commitment to road safety and pledged to reach a second, more ambitious and significant result: by 2015, 75% of PTWs will be offered on the market with advanced braking systems as an option.
Regarding the environment, ACEM proposed a roadmad towards parity with cars.
First, a Euro 4 stage in 2012, entailing a 25% reduction over Euro 3 in tailpipe emissions for motorcycles, and in 2015 we popose to attain Euro 5 stage realising a further 25% reduction in tailpipe emissions
for motorcycles and achieving the goal of parity with Euro 5 gasoline passenger cars.
Next year will be marked not only by key policy challenges, such as the review of the PTWs Framework Regulation or the 4th Road Safety Action Programme. It will be a challenging year on other fronts as well, as the global economic crisis is showing. By bringing safer and cleaner motorcycles and scooters to the market the Industry is proving its readiness in shaping the future of motorcycling in a sustainable way.
ACEM will continue to do its best to promote motorcycling as safer and cleaner mode of transport, a source of leisure and the object of passion for millions of sports fans.
Allow me to wish you all the best for Christmas and for a fruitful and happy 2009!
Jacques Compagne
Acem Secretary General
[REPORT]
5th ACEM Annual Conference
The Industry's strategy for the future
On December 1st the Motorcycle Industry announced remarkable steps to make motorcycling cleaner, safer and overall more innovative. Stefan Pierer, ACEM's President, said that despite the looming crisis opportunities for growth are still at hand, especially in urban mobility.
[read more]
[INTERVIEW]
Interview with ACEM President Stefan Pierer
In an interview with Autogazette' Frank Mertens, ACEM President Stefan Pierer, speaks about the state of the industry and what is to be expected from politics.
The financial crisis has also affected the motorcycle industry. In October alone, a slump of 20% was reported for the European PTWs market. "It would just be enough if the stimulus package devised by the European Commission were implemented," said the Stefan Pierer, in an interview given on the occasion of ACEM's Annual Conference last 1 December in Brussels.
[read more]
[NEWS]
Spain penalizes purchase of PTWs
The Spanish Parliament approved a registration tax scheme, allegedly based on CO2 emissions, with higher thresholds for motorcycles compared to other vehicles.
Thes tax scheme, approved on December 18th by the Spanish Government, represents a flagrant discrimination towards those citizens who choose motorcycles and scooters for their mobility and leisure needs. The newly approved law inexplicably lowers the emission thresholds for motorcycles by 33 to 40 %, leaving car CO2 limits unvaried.
[read more]
[NEWS]
Setting a standard for vehicles not requiring type approval
CEN/TC354 working group meets in Brussels
Vehicles such as motocross bikes, quads and minimotos do not require to undergo type approval process since they are not intended for use on public roads. However their success requires for a standardized set of rules harmonizing their safety related technical specifications.
[read more]
[NEWS]
Safer road design can reduce motorcycle accidents
Bikers' deaths can be halved, says EuroRAP
EuroRAP has published a position paper on motorcycles and crash barriers examining experiences and practices throughout the world. 'Barriers to change: designing safe roads for motorcyclists' is a report aimed at highways authorities across Europe highlighting the crucial role of the road infrastructure in reducing the causes and consequences of accidents.
[read more] |
