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Participants of the meeting, from the left: Mirko Radovanac - ECF, Marco Danzi - ECF, Margreet Steenhuisen-Kuipers - ECF, Käthi Diethelm - ECF, Lilian van Zandbrink - ETRA, Bart Staes - MEP Belgium, Michael Cramer - MEP Germany, Lothar Könekamp - ETRA, Manfred Neun - ECF, Satu Hassi - MEP Finland, Ewa Hedkvist - MEC Sweden, Annick Roetynck - ETRA, Horst Hahn-Klöckner - ECF, Nigel Hill - ETRA
ETRA and ECF meet cycling-friendly MEPs
On Wednesday 30th November, the European Twowheel Retailers' Association (ETRA) and the European Cyclists' Federation (ECF) jointly organized a very fruitful and encouraging meeting with Members of the European Parliament in Brussels.
The meeting was attended by 5 MEPs and 1 MEP assistant. Mr Bart Staes is a Belgian MEP and by his own account a bike addict. He made it possible for the meeting to take place in the European Parliament. Mr Staes has always grant any request from cycling organisations for support in making European legislation more cycling-friendly. Mrs Ewa Hedvkist Petersen is a Swedish MEP with a particular interest in road safety. She was rapporteur for the proposal on the use of frontal protection systems on motor vehicles. Mr Michael Cramer is a cycling-friendly German MEP and coordinator for transport issues in the Group of Geens. In the debate on the Third Railway Package he has been pushing for the amendment concerning the transport of bicycles on trains. His fellow countryman Markus Ferber is also very interested in cycling issues. Finnish MEP Mrs Satu Hassi is Vice-Chairwoman of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety. At the meeting she was very concerned with the issue of bikes in boxes. Finally, Mrs Lucas, who was represented by her assistant, is a UK MEP who, in the past, has shown her sympathy for cyclists and cycling on many occasions. She made sure that cycling was mentioned in the EP's report on the Commission's White Paper on the European Transport Policy. In addition to the MEPs who attended the meeting, 14 other MEPs excused themselves on account of other engagements, but explicitly asked to be informed on the outcome of the meeting.
After a general introduction, ECF and ETRA discussed with the MEPs the mutual benefits of a closer association. All participants agreed that cycling can contribute to achieving European policy objectives in many different areas such as transport, environment, public health, sustainable tourism, etc. ECF and ETRA also made short presentations on 4 "current EU bicycle affairs": cyclists' safety, bikes and trains, bikes in boxes and reduced VAT rates. The subsequent discussion led to concrete agreements on the continuation of the contact between ECF, ETRA and the MEPs. Mrs Ewa Hedkvist Petersen stated that she was very pleased about the fact that cycling organisations had taken the initiative to knock on European Parliament's door. "Do feed us with any cycling related information, proposals, suggestions, you deem interesting" Mrs Hedvkist Petersen said. She explicitly asked for ECF and ETRA's assistance in amending the proposal for the new Directive on safer car fronts which will probably be submitted to the EP next Spring. Mr Staes had several concrete proposals for strengthening the ties between ECF and ETRA and the European authorities. He will be the pacesetter for the establishment of regular consultation between the two organisations and cycling-friendly MEPs.
Annick Roetynck, ETRA
www.etra-eu.com
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