Brussels (Belgium) | 17 June 2026
The 2026 ACEM General Assembly, hosted by BMW Motorrad at the BMW Welt in Munich, brought together representatives from across the motorcycle industry to review the year’s progress and define strategic priorities at political and technical levels. During the meeting, the assembly elected Markus Flasch, CEO BMW Motorrad, as President for a two-year mandate starting 1 July 2026.
His election comes at a pivotal moment for the sector. The European motorcycle industry faces a convergence of regulatory, mobility, and competitiveness challenges that call for a strong, coordinated voice in Brussels. Building on his predecessor’s ongoing work, his presidency will focus on three strategic priorities: securing the integration of L-category vehicles, mopeds, motorcycles, tricycles, and quadricycles into Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) across major European cities; advancing the industry’s decarbonisation agenda while safeguarding the sector’s industrial competitiveness; and promoting the role of motorcycling in leisure, touring, and sport as a driver of economic growth across Europe.
The ACEM Presidium is completed with three Vice-Presidents: Michele Colaninno (CEO, Piaggio Group, and outgoing ACEM President), Claudio Domenicali (CEO, Ducati Motor Holding) and Clément Villet (Director Land Mobility, Yamaha Motor Europe N.V.).
“I am honoured to take on the presidency of ACEM, and grateful to my colleagues for their trust. ACEM enters this new mandate from a position of strength, building on solid foundations laid in recent years under Michele Colaninno’s presidency. Our task now is to carry that momentum forward and keep strengthening the industry’s voice in Europe. L-category vehicles are not a niche; they are a solution to the mobility challenges Europe faces today. Our industry has the technology, the ambition, and the responsibility to deliver on sustainability while keeping riding accessible, safe, and enjoyable for millions of Europeans. Competitiveness remains our watchword. We will work closely with EU institutions to ensure that the regulatory environment supports innovation and industrial investment, rather than constraining it. I look forward to working together to make the motorcycle industry stronger within Europe and beyond.”
Markus Flasch, President of the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM)
“I look forward to further implementing the association’s work, with the support of our new President Markus Flasch, a strong Presidium and the full membership. The motorcycle industry is an asset for the European economy and ACEM will continue engaging with policy-makers on the benefits L-category vehicles bring to society.”
Antonio Perlot, Secretary General of the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM)
MEET THE PRESIDIUM
For more information, please contact:
Neus Armenjach
+32 472 26 14 77
About ACEM
The European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM) represents manufacturers of mopeds, motorcycles, three-wheelers and quadricycles (L-category vehicles) in Europe.
ACEM members include 16 manufacturing companies: BMW Motorrad, Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP), Ducati Motor holding, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, KYMCO, Peugeot Motocycles Group, Piaggio, Polaris Industries, Royal Enfield, Suzuki, Triumph Motorcycles, Yamaha and Zero Motorcycles.
ACEM also represents 17 motorcycle industry associations in 16 different European countries. About 300,000 jobs depend on the L-category industry in Europe. There are more than 39 million motorcycles and scooters on Europe’s roads (2019 estimate)
