ACEM news
5 programmes in Italy, Cyprus, Greece and Portugal receive the European Motorcycle Training Quality Label
28 Sep 2021

Today five new motorcycle training programmes, in Italy, Cyprus, Greece and Portugal, were awarded the European Motorcycle Training Quality Label, an initiative jointly led by the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM), the International Motorcycle Federation (FIM) and the German Road Safety Council (DVR).

The awarded programmes are:

“Importance of Protective Equipment - Accident Risk Assessment - Riding Skills Development”, a programme offered by the Cyprus Motorcycles Federation

“Advice on Advanced Riding - E.Q.L.” a programme offered by the Hellenic Motorcycle Institute MOTOTHESIS

“Safe Driving Course” and “Advanced Safe Driving Course”, two programmes offered by the Italian Motorcyclists Federation (FMI)

“Ride safer - Motorcycle training”, a programme offered by the PRP (Prevenção Rodoviária Portuguesa), the Portuguese association for the prevention of road accidents

These training programmes have received the Provisional European Motorcycle Training Quality Label, which will be valid for a period of 12 months. This Label certifies that the above-mentioned training programmes are of high quality as well as road safety-oriented based on the programme screening and initial assessment. An on-site evaluation by DVR safety experts will take place as soon as the COVID-19 situation allows it.

Quote

Antonio Perlot, Secretary General of the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM), said:
“The Label is not only part of the motorcycle industry’s forward-looking safety strategy but also an excellent example of how cooperation between industry players, NGOs, motorcycle trainers and users’ organisations can deliver positive results in motorcycle safety. The European Motorcycle Training Quality Label has been strongly supported by the European Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean and the European Coordinator for Road Safety Matthew Baldwin.”

Julia Fohmann, Spokesperson of the German Road Safety Council (DVR), said:
“We are glad that new training programmes are joining the network of excellence of high-quality safety training providers in Europe. The European Motorcycle Training Quality Label aims to encourage riders to undergo voluntary safety training on a regular basis. This motivates us to continue working every day to make Europe’s roads safer”.

Damiano Zamana, Deputy CEO of the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM), said:
“The FIM considers that life-long training is essential to improve the safety of motorcyclists. Having certified programmes delivering high-quality, post-licence, training contents is one of the objectives of the FIM Strategy 2024. We are pleased to see that our members, in Italy and Cyprus, are actively delivering training programs. At the same time, in Portugal and Greece, the cooperation between the awardees and our members is an example of best practices in support of riders’ safety. The FIM will continue supporting high-quality training for all motorcyclists”.

Press contact

For further information please contact:
Ilaria Balloni. ACEM communications assistant
E.
P. +32 22 30 97 32

Documents available to download

Press release - Five motorcycle training programmes in Italy, Cyprus, Greece and Portugal receive the European Motorcycle Training Quality Label - EN [PDF]

Press release - Five motorcycle training programmes in Italy, Cyprus, Greece and Portugal receive the European Motorcycle Training Quality Label - EL [PDF]

Press release - Five motorcycle training programmes in Italy, Cyprus, Greece and Portugal receive the European Motorcycle Training Quality Label - IT [PDF]

Press release - Five motorcycle training programmes in Italy, Cyprus, Greece and Portugal receive the European Motorcycle Training Quality Label - PT [PDF]

Media

Example of motorcycle safety programme - HONDA Safety Institute [JPG]

Example of motorcycle safety programme - BMW [JPG]

Example of motorcycle safety programmes - "Ready to Ride" by VSV [JPG]

Closing session of the ITF Motorcyclists safety workshop “Riding in a Safe System” to be held on 29 September
23 Sep 2021

On 29 September 2021, the International Transport Forum (ITF) holds the closing event of the Motorcyclists safety workshop “Riding in a Safe System”.

The workshop was co-organised by the International Transport Forum (ITF), the Swedish Transport Administration, VTI, the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM), and the motorcycle manufacturers associations (ACEM and IMMA). It is a follow-up to the Third Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, held in Stockholm in February 2020, and was focused on the nine recommendations of the Academic Expert Group and their application to motorcyclists’ safety, building on the 2008 Lillehammer workshop and on the 2015 ITF research report “Improving Safety for Motorcycle, Scooter and Moped Riders”.

The closing session will be the occasion to present the outcome of the workshop, in the form of seven thematic recommendations.

For more information, complete programme and to register please go to: https://www.itf-oecd.org/motorcyclists-safety-workshop-riding-safe-system-closing-plenary

About the OECD

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international organisation that works to build policies that foster prosperity, equality, opportunity and well-being for all.
Together with governments, policy makers and citizens, the organisation works on establishing evidence-based international standards and finding solutions to a range of social, economic and environmental challenges.

About the ITF

The International Transport Forum at the OECD is an intergovernmental organisation with 62 member countries. It acts as a think tank for transport policy and organises the Annual Summit of transport ministers. ITF is the only global body that covers all transport modes. The ITF is administratively integrated with the OECD, yet politically autonomous.

Contact

Véronique Feypell de la Beaumelle
IRTAD Manager of the Road Safety Programme
E.

ACEM position paper - Ensuring Sustainable Urban Mobility: The key role of Powered Two-Wheelers
20 Sep 2021

On 1 July 2021, the European Commission published a Public Consultation to gather stakeholders’ views on a future EU Urban Mobility framework. ACEM values the effort of the European Commission towards its 2050 climate strategy, which the Motorcycling community strive to contribute too.

ACEM has responded to the Public Consultation but regrets that this has proven to be difficult in light of the Commission’s questionnaire format and content, leaving out Powered Two-Wheelers (PTWs) as an urban mobility option. ACEM recalls that more than 35 million PTWs are used on European roads, many of which as day-to-day mobility means, especially in urban environments.

As regards the future political strategic orientation of the European Union, ACEM calls for the EC to consider the use of (electric) powered two-wheelers in urban areas as a valuable contribution, along with public transport, walking and cycling. The latter means of transport do not realistically cover all transport requirements and the need for affordable, private motorized transport, will always exist.

More on this in the latest ACEM Position Paper “Ensuring Sustainable Urban Mobility: The key role of Powered Two-Wheelers (PTWs)”.

Documents available to download

Ensuring Sustainable Urban Mobility: The key role of Powered Two-Wheelers (PTWs) [PDF]

Oxford Economics study - The Economic Importance of Motorcycles in Europe
13 Sep 2021

This piece of research by Oxford Economics shows that the motorcycle sector in the EU and the UK supports about 389,000 jobs through different activities including the manufacturing of vehicles, parts and accessories, and personal protective equipment, as well as motorcycle-related activities.

The study has also found that just in 2019, the motorcycle sector contributed about € 21.4 billion of GDP across Europe. All in all, every € 1 of GDP created directly by motorcycle businesses supported a further € 1.80 of GDP in other industries, due to the various knock-on expenditure impacts.

In terms of tax revenue, the motorcycle sector and related activities generated about € 16.6 billion, making motorcycling an important contributor to public finances, particularly in large markets like Germany, France, Italy, UK and Spain.

Documents available to download

Report - Oxford Economics - The importance of motorcycles to Europe [PDF]

Infographic - Economic importance [PNG]

Infographic - Environmental performance [PNG]

Infographic - Motorcycle use [PNG]

Infographic - Motorcycle sports [PNG]

 

 

New research highlights the economic and mobility benefits of  two-wheelers in Europe
13 Sep 2021

A new piece of research by Oxford Economics shows that the motorcycle sector in the EU and the UK supports about 389,000 jobs through different activities including the manufacturing of vehicles, parts and accessories, and personal protective equipment, as well as motorcycle-related activities.

The study has also found that just in 2019, the motorcycle sector contributed about € 21.4 billion of GDP across Europe. All in all, every € 1 of GDP created directly by motorcycle businesses supported a further € 1.80 of GDP in other industries, due to the various knock-on expenditure impacts.

In terms of tax revenue, the motorcycle sector and related activities generated about € 16.6 billion, making motorcycling an important contributor to public finances, particularly in large markets like Germany, France, Italy, UK and Spain.

Europe-based motorcycle companies export goods for about € 2.1 billion per year

The report also analyzed the role of the motorcycle industry in the area of international trade. EU and UK based motorcycle companies export every year about € 2.1 billion worth of vehicles, parts and components to non-European customers.

The key export markets included the US, Switzerland, Australia and Japan. However, as the study stresses, “European exporters face high import tariffs in China and Thailand as well as India”, all of which are major markets with significant growth potential for European motorcycle manufacturers.

Significant mobility, time savings and environmental benefits

The study prepared by Oxford Economics also examined the additional benefits offered by motorcycles to their users, and to the environment. A scenario analysis suggests that if 5% of those who commute by car across Europe (5.3 million commuters) switched to motorcycles, the aggregate time savings would be 21.2 million days per annum — worth € 3.3 billion to these users.

Motorcycles were also found to offer substantial cost savings due to lower fuel use and operating costs. On average, the cost of commuting by motorcycle (€ 545) was nearly one-third of what it would cost to use a car (€ 1,435) across a year.

The research confirmed that motorcycles have a smaller environmental footprint than four-wheelers, with the average powered-two wheeler in the European vehicle fleet emitting about 99 g CO2/km, less than half of the 210 g CO2/km emitted by the average car (petrol and diesel). Interestingly, motorcycles up to 250 cc were found to emit on average 62 g CO2/km. About 62% of Europe’s two-wheelers fall into this category.

The economic and social importance of motorcycle leisure, sports and events

The study also examined the economic importance of motorcycle-related events, i.e. motorcycle sports, motorcycle trade fairs and events organized by OEMs.

In total, these activities contributed about € 2.1 billion to Europe’s GDP and supported about 38,400 jobs and € 1.2 billion in tax payments. A large part of that impact happened in local communities that greatly benefited from international tourists attending motorcycle-related events.

The study found that about 5 million spectators attended major motorcycle sporting events in 2019, with MotoGP attracting about 1.8 million spectators to its 12 European races in that season. Furthermore, about 2.5 million people attended motorcycle trade fairs and manufacturers' promotional events the same year.

The impact of COVID-19 on motorcycle manufacturers’ activities

An additional annex extended the analysis into 2020, gauging the impact that the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic had on the motorcycle industry. Motorcycle manufacturing activity in Europe was interrupted in a substantial way at the height of the pandemic in March - April 2020, with production falling substantially across the continent, largely linked to the impact of national lockdowns.

Amongst the major motorcycle manufacturing companies, the interruption to factory work was significant, but work in the HQ functions, R&D and trading held up relatively well. Also, motorcycle companies responded to Covid in such a way as to ensure that they are in a good position for the future, by largely maintaining the volume of work (in terms of hours) undertaken on R&D and design, and putting in place the staff protocols and infrastructure necessary to support widespread homeworking.

Motorcycle companies tended to protect active staff headcount, with hours per head temporarily cut in preference to direct layoffs.

Quotes

Stefan Pierer, President of ACEM and CEO of KTM AG, said:

“Oxford Economics’ research demonstrates that the motorcycle sector makes a valuable economic and societal contribution to Europe’s economy and mobility”.

“In spite of recent challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic or a difficult international trade environment, our sector remains strong. The motorcycle industry will continue to play a positive role in terms of job creation, economic growth and urban and leisure mobility”.

Antonio Perlot, Secretary General of ACEM, said:

“There has never been a better time to provide a snapshot of the motorcycle industry and related sectors. This study provides a detailed picture of the benefits that today’s motorcycles bring today to their users, to the people involved in the motorcycle sector, and to the economy and society at large”.

“Looking ahead, we expect mobility in Europe to undergo a profound transformation process. Motorcycle manufacturers within ACEM are committed to address those challenges, and to bring to market vehicles enabling even more efficient and more sustainable urban and recreational mobility. This is part of the forward-looking vision of the sector, to the horizon 2030 and beyond”.

Press contact

Manuel Ordonez de Barraicua
ACEM communications manager

+32 496 52 65 17

Documents available to download

Report - Oxford Economics - The importance of motorcycles to Europe [PDF]

Infographic - Economic importance [PNG]

Infographic - Environmental performance [PNG]

Infographic - Motorcycle use [PNG]

Infographic - Motorcycle sports [PNG]

Media

 

ACEM welcomes political agreement on the Motor Insurance Directive by Council and Parliament
24 Jun 2021

More than 3 years after the publication of the European Commission’s proposal, and after intensive discussions between the two Institutions, the European Parliament and the Council have reached an agreement on the revision of the Motor Insurance Directive.

While the new and revised rules should better protect injured people, including domestic victims of an accident caused by a driver from another EU country, the agreement reached earlier this week will finally - and rightfully - exclude motorsports and related activities from the scope of the Directive.

ACEM welcomes the decision to recognize the specificity of motorsport activities. This was a redline for key organisations of the motorcycling world (FIM, FEMA and the FIA) which have constantly held that including “motorsports” under the scope of this piece of legislation would endanger the economic viability of this activity in many EU Member States.

The amendments agreed today should also clarify what vehicles are subject to compulsory insurance, and what the insurance coverage should be. ACEM understands that the Directive will cover, as an harmonised rule, accidents caused during the normal use of a vehicle as a means of transportation, including its use on private properties.

ACEM takes this opportunity to thank the European Parliament’s Rapporteur, Dita Charanzová, for her dedicated efforts to steer this important file during lengthy and complex discussions.

Next steps

The provisional agreement will now have to be formally approved by the European Parliament, and the Council, prior to its publication in the Official Journal of the EU.

The new Directive will apply 24 months after its entry into force, leaving ample time for the Member States to implement the new rules at national level.

More information

European Commission press release - “Motor Insurance: Commission welcomes European Parliament and Council agreement to update the Motor Insurance Directive”

European Parliament press release - “Deal reached on new rules to better protect road accident victims”

Press Contact

Manuel Ordonez de Barraicua
ACEM communications manager

+32 496 52 65 17

EU-US Summit: Motorcycle industry supports coalition call for immediate suspension of retaliatory tariffs
10 Jun 2021

ACEM (Association des Constructeurs Européens de Motocycles – The Motorcycle Industry in Europe) and USMMA (United States Motorcycle Manufacturers Association) join the call on European authorities and the US Administration to agree, at next week’s Summit meeting on 15th June, to remove, as soon as possible, all tariffs on unrelated sectors impacted by the steel and aluminium dispute.

In a joint transatlantic industry statement, 113 associations have reiterated their call for the permanent removal of tariffs on sectors unrelated to the ongoing transatlantic trade disputes.

ACEM welcomed the positive joint announcement on 17th May 2021 of European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis, United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo of the start of discussions to address global steel and aluminium excess capacity. In particular, ACEM welcomed the suspension of the European Union’s additional 25% tariffs on US motorcycles, which were due to come into effect on 1st June 2021.

However, ACEM recalls that the motorcycle industry remains considerably hurt by the 25% rebalancing tariffs, which remain in place while negotiations are taking place.

ACEM therefore, calls upon European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, and President of the United States, Joe Biden, to take the opportunity of the EU-US Summit meeting in Brussels on 15th June, to commit at the highest level, their willingness to resolve the steel and aluminium dispute in the shortest possible timing.

Quote

“ACEM calls upon the Transatlantic Leadership to ensure that negotiations to tackle steel overcapacity concerns be concluded without delay and not to wait 6 months, during which time hundreds of millions of Euros of unrelated sectors’ money will be spent on unwarranted tariffs, instead of on investments and essential research and development for the rebuilding and greening of both EU and US economies”, said Antonio Perlot, ACEM Secretary General.

Press contact

Manuel Ordonez de Barraicua
ACEM communications manager

+32 496 52 65 17

Documents available to download

ACEM statement ahead of the EU-US Summit [PDF]

Joint statement - 113 U.S. and EU Organisations Urge EU and U.S. to Lift Retaliatory Tariffs on Products Unrelated to Transatlantic Trade Disputes [PDF]

ITF holds virtual Motorcyclists Safety Workshop “Riding in a Safe System” from 9 to 23 June 2021
27 May 2021

The workshop is co-organised by the International Transport Forum, the Swedish Transport Administration, VTI, the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM), and the motorcycle manufacturers associations (ACEM and IMMA). The workshop is a follow-up to the Third Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, held in Stockholm in February 2020, and will focus on the nine recommendations of the Academic Expert Group and their application to motorcyclists’ safety.

This event builds on the 2008 Lillehammer workshop, which was the first international event to bring together all key stakeholders and which has proven influential in setting the agenda for developing government motorcycle strategies across the world. It also builds on the 2015 ITF research report “Improving Safety for Motorcycle, Scooter and Moped Riders”, which made recommendations on a wide range of measures to improve the safety of motorcyclists.

For more information, complete schedule and registrations for the opening session and motorcycling in the regions session please go to: https://www.itf-oecd.org/motorcyclists-safety-workshop-riding-safe-system

About the OECD

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international organisation that works to build policies that foster prosperity, equality, opportunity and well-being for all.

Together with governments, policy makers and citizens, the organisation works on establishing evidence-based international standards and finding solutions to a range of social, economic and environmental challenges.

About the ITF

The International Transport Forum at the OECD is an intergovernmental organisation with 62 member countries. It acts as a think tank for transport policy and organises the Annual Summit of transport ministers. ITF is the only global body that covers all transport modes. The ITF is administratively integrated with the OECD, yet politically autonomous.

Contact

Véronique Feypell de la Beaumelle
IRTAD Manager of the Road Safety Programme

+33 1 73 31 25 25

Contact us

European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers

Avenue de la Joyeuse Entrée, 1 B1040
Brussels Belgium

+32 (0)22 30 97 32

VAT BE0740.931.926

Transparency register - 02480451230-88