The European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM) and the International Motorcycle Manufacturers Association (IMMA) hosted a joint Spring Congress in Berlin, from 3 April until 7 April 2017. The event was attended by close to 200 delegates, including some senior industry leaders, from Europe, India, Japan, South East Asia, and South and North America.

A new leadership for ACEM and IMMA

Both associations elected a new leadership team. The ACEM General Assembly appointed Mr Stefan Pierer, CEO of KTM AG, as President of the association as of 1 July 2017. Mr Pierer will succeed Mr Stephan Schaller, President of BMW Motorrad, who will start serving as Vice-President of ACEM on the same date. The association will also have a new Vice-President: Mr Michele Colaninno, who is member of Piaggio’s board of directors as well as CEO and COO of the Immsi Group.

The IMMA General Assembly appointed a Vice-President: Mr Johannes Loman, who currently serves as Executive Vice President Director of PT Astra Honda Motor, President of the Federation of Asian Motorcycle Industries (FAMI) as well as President of the Indonesian Motorcycle Industries Association (AISI). Mr Loman will work closely with Mr Stephan Schaller, the current President of IMMA.

Key topics discussed during the Congress

As part of the Congress, ACEM and IMMA organised an international conference on motorcycling and sustainability. The discussions addressed a wide range of issues including the challenges and opportunities for motorcycling in urban areas, recent developments in the fields of sustainability and road safety, and the need for further harmonisation of technical regulations at global level.

Panellists included renowned policy experts and representatives of civil society organisations: Stefano Ammirati (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, FIA), Edwin Bastiaensen (International Motorcycle Manufacturers Association), Antonio Erario (Italian Ministry of Transport, UNECE), Vito Ippolito (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, FIM), Hannes Jaenicke (actor, author and motorcycle rider), Angel Lopez (Barcelona’s City Council), Dr. Margie Peden (World Health Organization) and Prof. Fred Wegman (International Traffic Safety Data and Analysis Group).

About the International Motorcycle Manufacturers Association

The International Motorcycle Manufacturers Association (IMMA) represents the combined skills and interests of the powered two- and three-wheelers manufacturing industry at the global level. It promotes mobility through safe, sustainable motorcycling by advocating the development and harmonisation of technical regulations affecting the motorcycle industry and by advancing inclusive policies for motorcycling. IMMA members include regional and national industry associations from Australia, Canada, Europe, India, Japan, South-East Asia and the United States.

About the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers

The European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM) represents manufacturers of mopeds, motorcycles, three-wheelers and quadricycles (L-category vehicles) in Europe. ACEM members include 18 manufacturing companies and 17 national industry associations. About 156,300 jobs depend on the motorcycle, moped, tricycle and quadricycle industry in Europe.

Press contact

For further information or to receive future ACEM news and press releases please contact:
Manuel Ordonez de Barraicua. ACEM communications officer
P. +32 (0)22 30 97 32
E.  

According to the latest data published today by the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM) registrations of motorcycles and mopeds in the EU have increased by 9.1% in 2016 compared to the the previous year. Total registrations in 2016 reached 1,307,200 units, with substantial increases in all of the largest European markets.

France remains the largest European market for light vehicles (253,067 units, +4.2% in 2016), followed by Italy (219,865 units, +11.8%), Germany (174,264 units, +15.1%), Spain (172,176 units, +15.9%) and the UK (128,637 units, +11.7%).

Strong growth in the motorcycle segment across Europe

In 2016 European registrations of motorcycles (i.e. vehicles with two- or three wheels and an engine capacity of more than 50cc) grew by 13.3% compared to 2015. The largest market for motorcycles in Europe was Italy, with 195,290 units registered (+13.5% on a year-on-year basis).

Other largest European motorcycle markets also showed positive trends: 174,624 vehicles were registered in Germany (+15.1%); 163,335 in France (+6.6%), 155,003 in Spain (+17%) and 119,889 in the UK (+13.4%).

Moped registrations in Europe

Registrations of mopeds (i.e. vehicles with two or three wheels and an engine capacity of 50cc or less) increased in some of the major European markets such as Spain (17,173 units, +7.6%) and the Netherlands (67,825 units, +2.9%), and remained stable in France (89,732 units, +0.1%) and Italy (24,575 units, -0.2%). A total of 327,826 mopeds were registered in Europe in 2016, representing a decrease of 3.5% on a year-on year basis.

Registrations by cylinder capacity

Most motorcycles, mopeds and quadricycles registered in Europe in 2016 have a cyclinder capacity of less than 125 cc (672,551 units, 49%). Vehicles with a cyclinder capacity between 126cc and 500cc accounted for 19% of the total (268,103 units), quite close to the number of registered vehicles with engines between 500c and 1000cc (20.6%, 283,868 units). Lastly, vehicles with engines of 1000cc or more totalled 150,444 units (10.9% of the total).

Registrations of electric vehicles

The largest markets for electrically-propelled mopeds, motorcycles and quadricycles were: France (7,396 units), the Netherlands (5,203 units), Italy (2,385 units), Spain (1,604 units) and Germany (1,501 units). Of all mopeds, motorcycles and quadricycles registered in the EU, 1.6% were electric vehicles. Internal combustion vehicles and vehicles equipped with hybrid propulsion represented 98.4% of the total registrations.

Quote

The Secretary General of the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM), Antonio Perlot (Italian) said:

• “2016 has been a very positive year for the industry, with registrations increasing in most European countries, particularly in the largest European markets: France (253,067 units), Italy (219,865 units), Germany (174,264 units), Spain (172,176 units) and the UK (128,637 units)”.

• “Strong demand for light vehicles across Europe is a testament to their inherent advantages. Mopeds, motorcycles and quadricycles have reduced purchasing and running costs, are easier to park than cars, and reduce travelling times and congestion in cities”.

• “Nothwithstanding this, our sector still faces a delicate situation. Although more than 1.3 million vehicles were registered in Europe in 2016, that figure is about half the 2.43 million units registered in 2007 before the economic crisis hit”. 

• “According to our latest estimates, about 156,000 jobs are generated directly or indirectly by our sector in the EU. Activities such as manufacturing of vehicles, parts and componentes, as well as in repair and maintenance of vehicles, or manufacturing of protective equipment to name just a few examples, create jobs all over Europe, particularly in countries such as Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Spain and the UK”.

• “Exports of motorcycles, parts and accesories to foreign countries are essential to sustaining jobs in the motorcycle sector in Europe. In addition to a stronger domestic European market, we need a European trade policy that not only secures strategic free trade agreements with key partners but also one that prevents protectionist policies abroad”.

Documents available to download

ACEM - Statistical data - December 2016 [xls]

ACEM - Statistical press release - December 2016 [pdf]

Press contact

For further information or to receive future ACEM news and press releases please contact:
Manuel Ordonez de Barraicua. ACEM communications officer
P. +32 (0)22 30 97 32
E.

The European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM) is deeply concerned about the current decision of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to consider imposing additional customs duties of up to 100% on European motorcycle exports between 51cc and 500cc as of March 2017. This potential measure follows a formal petition to the USTR from the American beef industry, which has requested the opening of a Section 301 proceeding under the 1974 US Trade Act. This seeks to impose additional duties on EU exports to the US as a retaliatory measure against EU restrictions on American beef imports.

The new motorcycle tariff currently under consideration could not only inflict considerable damage to European companies that manufacture goods used by American citizens for both leisure and mobility. It would also negatively affect US small- and medium- enterprises that provide distribution, dealership and repair services, and could potentially lead to the destruction of thousands of jobs in the US.

ACEM, in line with the motorcycle sector at large in Europe and in the United States, calls on the USTR to properly assess this potential measure and to avoid creating an artificial and counterproductive trade barrier that will certainly not encourage a favourable resolution of the beef dispute and that will be damaging for both the EU and the US economies.

Quote

ACEM Secretary General Antonio Perlot said:

“There is no justification for this measure, and the motorcycle sector should not be dragged into trade disputes over food products. ACEM, as the representative of motorcycle manufacturers in Europe, is following this issue closely and presented its observations before the USTR to obtain an immediate exclusion of European motorcycles from the list of products subject to increased duties”.

“We should be looking for new opportunities to promote transatlantic commerce and increase prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic, instead of creating new artificial barriers that hurt European companies, reduce American consumers’ choice and harm jobs in the US”.

“Unilateral measures such as this one will not encourage a favourable resolution of the beef dispute. ACEM calls on the USTR to properly assess the potential measure and counts on the support of the European Commission to ensure that European companies can compete in the US market on fair terms and are not hindered by artificial and counterproductive trade barriers”.

Press contact

For further information or to receive future ACEM news and press releases please contact:
Manuel Ordonez de Barraicua. ACEM communications officer
P. +32 (0)22 30 97 32
E.

Background

• ACEM, the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers, is the trade association that represents manufacturers of powered-two and three-wheelers as well as quadricycles (L-category vehicles) in Europe. ACEM members include 17 manufacturing companies and 17 national industry associations in 14 different European countries. About 156,300 jobs depend on the motorcycle, moped, tricycle and quadricycle industry in Europe.

• ACEM works closely with the EU institutions, as well as with a wide range of stakeholders, in different policy-areas. These include type-approval of L-category vehicles, environmental legislation, road safety and transport policies, international trade negotiations, etc.

• The United States Trade Representative (USTR) is a Cabinet member who serves as the President’s principal trade adviser, negotiator, and spokesperson on trade issues. He is responsible for developing and coordinating U.S. international trade, commodity and direct investment policy.

• Under Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974, the USTR is entitled to take unilateral actions and to impose duties upon foreign exports. It is not the first time the European motorcycle industry is targeted by the USTR. In 1999 and 2008, European motorcycles had also been included in – and subsequently removed – from a similar retaliation list.

More information

• ACEM. Position Paper: Request to reinstate action taken in connection with the European Union measures concerning meat and meat products [docket n° USTR-2016-0025) - Comments of the Motorcycle Industry in Europe (ACEM). http://www.acem.eu/publications/item/427-acem-comments-on-the-request-to-reinstate-action-taken-in-connection-with-the-european-union-measures-concerning-meat-and-meat-products 

• Office of United States Trade Representative (USTR). Request to Reinstate Action Taken in Connection with European Union's Measures Concerning Meat and Meat Products. https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=USTR-2016-0025-0001 

• White House. Press release: “Obama Administration Takes Action to Address European Union’s Unfair Trade Practices against U.S. Beef Industry”. https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2016/december/obama-administration-takes-action

The Motorcycle Industry in Europe (ACEM), the European Association of Automobile Manufacturers (ACEA), the Union Pétrolière Européenne Indépendante (UPEI) and FuelsEurope have issued a joint letter asking EU Member States to plan their legislation transposing the EU Directive on Alternative Fuel Infrastructure (DAFI) to take into account the national standards for fuel identifiers that are currently being developed at national level.

These new standards, which will be based on the recently adopted CEN standard EN 16942, will provide for common fuel identifiers that will be placed on new vehicles and fuel pumps. This will allow consumers to know which fuels can be used to refill their vehicles at all filling stations across Europe. The European Commission has already informed national authorities that the new standards must be applied for all new vehicles and fuel pumps as of 12 October 2018.

ACEM, ACEA, UPEI and FuelsEurope will organise common communication activities to inform customers about the new fuel identifiers, and welcome the participations in this initiative of organisations representing European consumers and drivers.

Documents available to download

Joint letter - Implementation of article 7 of the DAFI [pdf]