Brussels, 27.04.2007

New Secretary General for European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF)

The European Cyclists Federation ECF appointed Dr. Bernhard Ensink as its new Secretary General in Brussels. The ECF is the umbrella organisation of the national cyclists’ unions in Europe and is joined by a dozen associated members from other continents. Its role is to represent and support the member organisations politically, advantage their development and to co-ordinate concerted activities and campaigns. The appointment of the Secretary General is evidence for the growth of the ECF and its acknowledgement as a professional organisation. ECF president Manfred Neun highlights, that the 49 year old Bernhard Ensink was elected unanimously by the management committee.  

The European Cyclists’ Federation was founded in 1983 by 12 bicycle user associations. It has now enlarged to 45 member associations from 33 countries which:

• are active at local, regional and national level.
• promote the bicycle at European as well as international levels and create a favourable climate in transport, environmental and tourism policies.
• put forward the views of cyclists.
• link a dense European network of cyclists and user groups with politicians, industry, media, planners, railway companies and tourism industry.
• have expertise in cycling issues such as town planning, cycling facilities, tourism, road safety and legal matters.

The new Secretary General is starting his job on the 1st of May in Brussels. It’s good for the ECF, that the Dutchman Bernhard Ensink is no freshman in the European cycling world: He gained national and international renown through the seven years of successful work as director of the Dutch bicycle federation Fietsersbond. The Fietsersbond was able to increase its performance considerably under his guidance. This was accomplished by a restructuring and expansion of the general office and especially through focusing on the vital issues of cycling politics.  

It is Bernhard Ensink’s merit that thousands of modern, roofed bicycle stands are constructed at Dutch train stations. Using expert bicycle snatchers, they demonstrated effectively, also to the media, how easily bicycle locks are cracked. This perennial campaign lead to public and political recognition of the huge problem of 800.000 bicycle thefts a year. Now improvement programs for bicycle locks and theft -prevention and -persecution are starting.

The Fietsersbond got a lot of international attention for the development of the Benchmark-method “Bicycle Balance”. This instrument enables the communes and the respective local units of the Fietserbond to document and compare (benchmark) the particular local bicycle climate. The results of this “Bicycle Balance” are used to ameliorate the local bicycle policies in the cycling country Holland.

Bernhard Ensink is married and father of two children. He will now put his efforts for cycling to all-European use. Being Secretary General, he will represent the interests and maxims of the ECF in Europe: more traffic security, better health, higher quality of living, less smog and traffic jams in densely populated areas and in tourism: economic chances for economically underdeveloped areas.

Quoting Ensink: “Investments in good cycling -infrastructure and -policies yield high societal return.”

As Velo-City Series Director, Ensink will also contribute his experience and international expertise to one of the main activities of the ECF, the biennial held Velo-City Conferences. The first grand task will be, to make the Velo-City Conference Munich 2007 an internationally emanating event in the world of cycling. It is important to support the running preparations of the City of Munich through international expertise and the Velo-City Munich Director Ralph Kaulen with the experience attained from the previous conferences. For the hosting of the next conferences, after Munich, the biggest European Metropolises are on our wish list. Ensink regards the Velo-City Conferences as a perfect tool to bring together world-wide expertise and to stimulate the experience interchange between planners, politicians, Industry and consumers (users) and through that give impulses for good bicycle policies in all parts of Europe.

The first important date on the schedule for Secretary General Dr. Bernhard Ensink will be the AGM, the ECF’s annual general meeting in May, which this year will be held in Klaipeda/Lithuania. The delegates of all member organisations will most certainly use the opportunity to present a great range of wishes and assignments to their new Secretary General, and this is fair enough. The 45 member organisations of the ECF play a central role in the world-wide information exchange at Velo-City conferences, EuroVelo projects and all the other activities of the ECF. Ensink wants to strengthen and expand exactly this network of European citizens.         

Contact:

Manfred Neun

ECF President

manfred@neun.net