Speech in Strasbourg: EU regulation is strangling small businesses

Nikki says no to EU legislation on Motorcycles

After a busy week in Strasbourg and a busy weekend of football (don't mention the Worcester or Liverpool scores....) I have arrived back to my office to a full inbox once again. We regularly receive emails on the following issue and I have decided to post this on my blog, with the response I have been sending to people.

"I am very concerned about  the content and progress of a piece of European Legislation, currently timetabled for Plenary vote on 14th March.This will affect my primary means of transport (motorcyling) and a valuable leaisure activity (riding, repairing and mainaining
motorcycles. It will also affect my children who are keen fans of the sport/mode of transport.

This issue is also important in terms of UK control over legislation. I consider myself to be an Englishman within Europe rather than a European living in England. I do not want to take an anti-Europe stance gebnerally but believe that some legislation (particularly in respect
of vehicles) needs to be kept within UK control.Article 18a is of relevance here.

The proposed EU Regulation on Type Approval and Market Surveillance motorcycles passed  Committee stage on 5th December despite an incomplete impact assessment.

New elements including the  mandatory ABS for all motorcycles, the introduction of a new Article 18a (see below) and the Delegated Acts have moved beyond the scope of the Commission's original proposal. ABS technology is not as advanced as for cars and there are many riding conditions where combined braking systems (in which the industry has
invested heavily) are more suitable.  The Commission’s mandating of ABS is therefore not feasible for motorcycling at this stage. Articles 17 and 52 directly affect motorcyclists as consumers, controlling the sale and availability of after-market parts within the EU and the modification of certain aspects of the machine to suit riding conditions. This includes simple service items and is akin to forcing car drivers to buy only genuine parts down to the level of
service items.

A significant plennary vote is timetabled for  14th March 2012. This is too soon to enable sufficient discussion  permits no time within the chamber for debate.

Clearly a debate is needed as there are many parts of this Regulation which I, as a rider and consumer, welcome, so this cannot be a yes/no vote on the acceptance or rejection of the proposal as a whole.

 Article 22 aims to have CO2 emissions published at point of sale for motorcycles is welcomed.  Also of interest and in need of debate/representation is Paragraph 9 (page 11) which aims to over-turn previous decisions relating to power limits for motorcycles (1995).

This debate my be informed by the fact that  no evidence can be found of a correlation between safety and power. This assertion rather undermines one of the central tenets of the whole proposal, that speed or 'tuning' has a detrimental effect on safety, again forcing the
assumption that the Commission’s proposals appear to be less  evidence based and more a matter of crass and uninformed (public) opinion."

The following is the response that is being sent back:

"Thank you for your email concerning the EU regulations on motorbikes. We have been against these proposals from the very start, supported the MAG staged protest last year and shall oppose these proposals at every opportunity when they come before us in the EU "parliament". These proposals only adds to the growing already very BIG list of reasons why'd we'd be better off out the EU !!

 The motorcycle community needs EU intervention like a fish needs a bicycle –  It is outrageous that the EU should try to dictate to them or anyone else on the basis on which their bikes must be repaired and even if changes needed to be made, changes should be taken by our democratically elected politicians in Westminster, not by faceless bureaucrats in Brussels."

Further information on this proposal can be found on the following website: http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/dft-2011-26/