Monday, December 12 2011
On Monday, the European Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) committee voted through a set of stringent proposals for the regulation and approval of motorcycles, three wheelers and quads.
If proposals become a reality, it would mean that from 2014, measures must be developed and applied by manufacturers to prevent power-train modifications, and that all owners must present their motorcycles for inspection after carrying out any substantial modifications. It would also mean that as of 2016, tighter emission laws would apply and all machines, not only those over 125cc, would have to be fitted with ABS.
The European Parliament final vote will take place in the New Year.
Chris Hodder, BMF Government Relations Executive: “Rather than protecting the right to enjoy their property, IMCO MEPs are recommending that it be curtailed. Some requirements such as those for durability and improved access to repair and maintenance information are good, but others that restrict the owners right to adapt and modify their own machines strike at the very core of motorcycling and are totally unnecessary.”
The BMF is now stepping up its lobbying of UK Government and MEPs through its membership of FEMA, the Federation of European Motorcyclists’ Associations.
