ACEM news
The Connected Motorcycle Consortium launches the Basic Specification C-ITS for Motorcycles
11 Dec 2020

Today, 11 December 2020, the Connected Motorcycle Consortium (CMC) launched the Basic Specification Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) for motorcycles. The Consortium published a set of documents addressing various topics related to the introduction of C-ITS for motorcycles, such as: triggering conditions, localisation accuracy, algorithms and communicated data, as well as rider interface and antenna performance.

This breakthrough result is the outcome of all the efforts made over the years by CMC members, who have been working intensively to achieve this goal.

The CMC has made significant progress in this area through several studies, the development and evaluation of prototype bikes and thanks to meetings and discussions with different major stakeholders.

About CMC and the importance of connectivity for motorcycle safety

The CMC was created in 2016, building on the ACEM Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems. Motorcycle manufacturers, suppliers, researchers and associations joined forces with the objective to make motorcycles part of the future connected mobility.

ACEM, which is a member, contributed to the achievement of one of the main goals of the Consortium: to define common ‘Basic Specifications C-ITS systems for motorcycles’ and have them ready for publication by the end of 2020.

C-ITS allows road vehicles to communicate with each other, with roadside infrastructure and with other road users. C-ITS has a high potential, especially for motorcycles, to prevent accidents.

CMC has been working on around 30 applications, in which connectivity would allow to warn drivers and riders of potentially dangerous situations.

The integration of motorcycles in the C-ITS ecosystem will bring significant safety benefits and will lead to better integration of motorcycles in the transport system.

Quote

Claire Depré, Head of Unit Sustainable & Intelligent Transport, DG Mobility and Transport, EC has
congratulated CMC “for the work carried out, for bringing much more innovation and contributing to the safety of the overall transport system.”

For more information, please visit: https://www.cmc-info.net/.

The EU adopts new rules on end-of-series to help the motorcycle sector to cope with the COVID-19 outbreak
13 Nov 2020

The Official Journal of the European Union published today a special legislative measure modifying the end-of-series rules included in EU Regulation 168/2013 to help companies and dealers to cope with the effects of the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus.

2020 is a particular year for the sector, as the 31 December is set – by legislation – to be the final date by which vehicles placed on the market can be homologated as Euro 4. Under the new article 44a of EU Regulation 168/2013, manufacturers facing a problem of excess inventory of Euro 4 vehicles as a result of the COVID-19 lockdowns introduced across Europe can request the national authorities of the relevant Member State permission to place in the market their excess inventory until 31 December 2021. This new measure complements – as a derogation – the current end-of-series rule (article 44).

The national authority concerned will decide, within a month of receiving the request, whether to permit the registration of those end-of-series vehicles within its territory and in what number. Under this arrangement, a special entry qualifying the vehicles as “2021 - end-of-series” will be made on the certificate of conformity of the vehicles put into service.

The application of these specific and exceptional end-of-series measures will be restricted to the number of vehicles that were in stock at the moment of the national lockdowns. The number of vehicles benefiting from these provisions “should not exceed the number of Euro 4 L-category vehicles that were in stock on 15 March 2020”, which was estimated by industry experts at around 550,000 units for the entire EU market.

Why were the original end-of-series provisions insufficient?

EU type-approval rules foresee a standard flexibility mechanism called “end of series”, which allowed OEMs to continue making available on the market, register or enter into service a limited part of their stock of vehicles when moving from one Euro step to another. However, this standard flexibility clause was assessed as insufficient (limited to 10% of the past 2 years registrations per type) to address the problem of extra vehicle stock created by heavy manufacturing and distribution disruptions due to the sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 virus.

The end-of series (article 44a of EU Regulation 168/2013) complements the current rules on end-of-series (article 44 of the same EU Regulation), which grant the possibility to register a limited number of Euro 4 vehicles (up to 10% of past 2 years registrations, per OEM type) until 31 December 2022.

Outlook

  • The revised modified end-of-series will enter into force on 14 November 2020.
  • EU Member States must inform the European Commission on the number of vehicles for which end-of-series status has been granted under the new “article 44a” by 1 July 2021.

Documents available to download

EU Regulation 2020/1694 amending EU Regulation 168/2013 as regards specific measures on L-category end-of-series vehicles in response to the COVID-19 pandemic [PDF]

Press contact

Manuel Ordonez de Barraicua. ACEM communications manger
E.
M. 32 (0)2 23 0 97 32

Registrations of motorcycles and mopeds in largest European markets slightly rose again
05 Nov 2020

Between January and September 2020, motorcycle registrations in the five largest European markets (i.e. France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK, i.e. about 80% of the EU + UK motorcycle market) reached 708,503 units. This volume of registrations represents a decrease of 3.3% in comparison to the first nine months of 2019.

The current registration trends in the motorcycle segment, however, show an improvement in comparison to the first six months of the year, when the motorcycle registrations in the main European markets had fallen on average by 17%. This was due to the paralysis of commercial activity, caused by the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus (see the previous press releases here and here).

The moped segment looks in better shape, with registrations in the largest European markets (i.e. Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain) reaching a total of 205,688 units during the first nine months of 2020. This represents an increase of 6.4% in comparison to the same period of 2019.

Quote

Commenting on the current situation of the sector, Antonio Perlot, ACEM Secretary General, said: “The registration figures for the first 9 months of the year show that the sector is slowly starting to recover from the very difficult months of March and April 2020 that had put the sector under unprecedented financial stress. The situation remains delicate, and the uncertainty created by the COVID-19 outbreak is not over yet”.

“That said, there are reasons to be optimistic. The recent decision by the EU institutions to extend the cut-off deadline for selling Euro 4 models until 31 of December 2021, will certainly help the motorcycle industry to better cope with this crisis”.

“Also, the COVID-19 crisis creates opportunities for policy-makers to rethink about local transport policy. The crisis has clearly shown that overreliance on public transport can create vulnerabilities in cities' transport systems. A preferable better approach would be to find a balance between different transport modes. Better integration of two-wheelers in the transport mix, for example, can reduce the present risks of operating public transport networks at full capacity".

Note

The new "COVID-19 measure" (article 44a, EU Regulation 168/2013) will complement the current rules on End of Series (art. 44, EU Regulation 168/2013), which grant the possibility to register a limited amount of Euro 4 vehicles (up to 10% of past 2 years sales, per OEM type) until 31/12/2022. The agreement between the European Parliament and the Council is pending of final adoption and publication in the EU official journal.

Documents available to download

ACEM - Statistical press release - January - September 2020 [xls]

ACEM - Statistical press release - January - September 2020 - EN [pdf]

ACEM - Statistical releases - FAQ [pdf]

ACEM - Statistical releases - Glossary [pdf]

Press contact

Manuel Ordonez de Barraicua
ACEM communications manager

+32 496 52 65 17

ACEM welcomes positive vote of the Council and Parliament on  the revision of Euro 4 “end of series” provisions
20 Oct 2020

The motorcycle industry in Europe welcomes the recent decision by the Council of the EU and the European Parliament to endorse the European Commission’s proposal adapting the rules on end-of-series vehicles in EU Regulation 168/2013. This amendment will give motorcycle dealers and companies across Europe, which have been affected by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the possibility to sell their stock of Euro 4 vehicles until 31 December 2021.

The proposal supported by the two legislative bodies will cover only the vehicles that were in stock at the moment when national lockdowns were introduced across the EU. More specifically, the amount of vehicles benefiting from the revised end-of-series measures will not exceed the number of Euro 4 L-category vehicles in stock in the EU on 15 March 2020, which was estimated by industry experts at around 550,000 units.

A much-needed revision of end of series

Under EU type-approval rules, all Euro 4 motorcycles needed to be registered before the application of the environmental Euro 5 step on 1 January 2021. This requirement was impossible to achieve as a result of the drop on sales caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

EU type-approval rules foresaw a flexibility mechanism called “end of series”, which allowed manufacturers to continue making available on the market, register or enter into service a limited part of their stock of Euro 4 vehicles. However, this flexibility clause was not sufficient to address the problem of extra vehicle stock created by the sudden outbreak of the virus.

The political agreement reached by the two European legislators will help motorcycle companies and dealers to better face these troublesome times.

It is worth emphasizing that the amendment to the end-of-series provisions in EU Regulation 168/2013 will not affect the original timeline foreseen for the introduction of the Euro 5 standard, i.e. 1 January 2021 for existing moped and motorcycle models type-approved before the 1 January 2020.

Quote

Commenting on the political agreement reached by the EU institutions, Antonio Perlot, ACEM Secretary General, said:

“ACEM welcomes the positive vote of the Council and the European Parliament on this important legislative file. The amendment to EU Regulation 168/2013 will help those manufacturers in need of specific support and will help to bridge the gap towards Euro 5. The new rules will also provide a much needed ‘safety net’ for the entire sector, including downstream dealerships, and will prevent the unnecessary scrapping of Euro 4 vehicles”.

“The motorcycle sector thanks European Commission’s President von der Leyen as well as Commissioner Breton and his team at DG GROW for their decisive political dealership and swift response to this crisis”.

“Over the coming the months, ACEM but most importantly – as since day one – the sector national associations will continue working constructively with public authorities to ensure that the new end-of-series rules support manufacturing in Europe and dealerships in these challenging times”.

Documents available to download

ACEM press release - ACEM welcomes positive vote of the Council and European Parliament on the revision of Euro 4 “end of series” provisions [PDF]

Press contact

Ilaria Balloni. ACEM communications assistant
E.
M. +32 22 30 16 83

The European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers welcomes four new members
14 Oct 2020

On 22 September 2020, the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM) held its 30th General Assembly. The event was held online, due to the COVID-19 limitations applicable to large meetings.

The ACEM General Assembly approved the acceptance of Zero Motorcycles as a new guest member of the association. Zero Motorcycles is an American manufacturer of electric vehicles that produces high performance electric motorcycles. Since 2006, when the first prototypes were produced in Santa Cruz, California, Zero has rapidly grown into an internationally known motorcycle company.

Further to this, three trade associations representing the motorcycle sector at national level joined ACEM: the Associação Automóvel de Portugal (ACAP), the Hungarian Vehicle Importers Association (MGE) and the Association of Automobile Importers (SDA, Czech Republic).

Quote

Antonio Perlot, ACEM Secretary General, said: "I am delighted to welcome Zero Motorcycles, ACAP, MGE and SDA to the ACEM family, and look forward to start working with their representatives soon. With the addition of these new members, ACEM will now represent a total of 19 manufacturing companies and 20 national industry associations across Europe”.

Press contact

Ilaria Balloni. ACEM communications assistant
E.
M. +32 22 30 16 83

ACEM Safety Strategy - The Safe Ride to the Future 2.0
01 Oct 2020

The motorcycle industry’s safety strategy covers advanced safety technology and future connectivity. It also goes beyond the vehicle, covering high quality post-licence training and seeking cooperating with all important stakeholders at European and national level.

Documents available to download

The Safe Ride to the Future 2.0 [PDF]

ACEM launches “The Safe Ride to the Future 2.0”, the Motorcycle Industry’s Safety Strategy
01 Oct 2020

Today, the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers, ACEM, presented “The safe ride to the future 2.0”, the motorcycle industry’s safety strategy.

“The safe ride to the future 2.0” sets the motorcycle sector’s vision for Horizon 2030 in areas such as advanced safety technology and connectivity. It also elaborates on the industry’s initiative to increase the quality of post-licence motorcycle training in Europe through a European Training Quality Label.
The policy document also describes how the motorcycle sector is working with other European and national stakeholders to promote the implementation of transport policies that encompass motorcycle safety.

The motorcycle industry supports the adoption, by policymakers, of a Safe System approach towards motorcycling, simultaneously addressing human, vehicle and road infrastructure factors. This, combined with a stronger engagement with civil society and the public and private sectors, will result in further improvements in motorcycle safety.

Quotes

Antonio Perlot, ACEM Secretary General, said: “There are more than 34 million motorcycles, scooters and mopeds in use across Europe. These bring considerable benefits, such as affordable mobility, reduced traffic congestion levels, access to jobs and services, as well as enjoyment through activities such as leisure mobility, sports and tourism. The motorcycle industry calls upon national, regional and local policymakers to embrace inclusive motorcycle mobility and safety policies, benefiting users as well as the rest of society.”.

Adina Vălean, European Commissioner for Transport, welcomed the industry strategy: “We commend the commitment of ACEM, and I welcome the motorcycle industry’s road safety strategy. The EU committed to reduce road fatalities and serious injuries by 50% by 2030. To reach this ambitious target, we are implementing the Safe System approach which addresses all important areas for road safety: infrastructure, vehicles, driving behaviour and post-crash care. The European Motorcycle Training Quality Label has been strongly supported by the European Commission. Indeed, high-quality safety training is a fundamental element in the Safe System approach. We must continue working together towards better road safety for all on Europe’s roads”.

Matthew Baldwin, European Coordinator for Road Safety, said: “This is great work from ACEM and we need more strong stakeholder involvement like this at all levels. This is an efficient way to deliver well-tailored safety initiatives that are relevant to the motorcycle community. We will continue to work closely with the industry and are very grateful for their determination to help us meet the safety targets agreed within the EU and of course now set globally at UN level for the next decade”.

For more information on this initiative and to read the full strategy, please visit the dedicated brand-new website: https://roadsafetystrategy.acem.eu.

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 - ACEM launches “The Safe Ride to the Future 2.0”, the Motorcycle Industry’s Safety Strategy - EN [PDF]

Press release - ACEM launches “The Safe Ride to the Future 2.0”, the Motorcycle Industry’s Safety Strategy - DE [PDF]

Press release - ACEM launches “The Safe Ride to the Future 2.0”, the Motorcycle Industry’s Safety Strategy - ES [PDF]

Press release - ACEM launches “The Safe Ride to the Future 2.0”, the Motorcycle Industry’s Safety Strategy - FR [PDF]

Press release - ACEM launches “The Safe Ride to the Future 2.0”, the Motorcycle Industry’s Safety Strategy - IT [PDF]

Photo - Antonio Perlot, ACEM Secretary General , and Matthew Baldwin, European Coordinator for Road Safety [JPG]

Industry letter to President von der Leyen “The notification deadline for the SCIP database must be postponed”
21 Sep 2020

On Monday 21st September, a coalition of 40 industry organisations wrote a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen calling for decisive action to solve implementation issues within the EU Waste Framework Directive (WFD), specifically the Substances of Concern in Products (SCIP)database.

The signatories representing a very significant part of the European Economy request urgent resolution of implementation issues in a database designed to support the circular economy as expressed in the European Green Deal. This “SCIP” database is required by Article 9.1 of the updated Waste Framework Directive.

The signatories of this letter ask President von der Leyen to take immediate action to:

  1. Postpone the SCIP notification deadline of 5th January 2021 by at least 12 months after the database will be finalised;
  2. Conduct a study on the usefulness, feasibility, proportionality and impact of the database, and;
  3. Instruct the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to adapt the SCIP database according to the outcome of such study.

ECHA failed to finalize the database development to the required timescale of January 2020, preventing companies from developing, testing and adapting their own systems to meet the January 2021 notification deadline.

Signatories have serious concerns regarding the workability, proportionality and value of the SCIP database, expressed repeatedly for the last two years, but their concerns have not been resolved by the European Commission, nor by ECHA.

Contrary to the EU Better Regulation principles, Article 9.1 was added to the revised WFD during the final stage of the co-decision process without any prior stakeholder consultation or impact assessment. A proper impact study should help shape the way forward to deliver on the EU ambition for a circular European Economy.

Documents available to download

Press release - Industry letter to President von der Leyen “The notification deadline for the SCIP database must be postponed” [pdf]

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