ETRA eesv, Guinardstraat 32, Gent, Belgium
Successful engagement
ECF and ETRA both believe that the time for political pressure on the European Commission, Parliament and Council to promote cycling has never been better. Lobbying needs to be intensified on issues such as infrastructure, road safety, taxation, product quality, etc.Having ascertained this mutual belief, approaches between the two organisations were first made in the course of 2005. The cooperation was proving very workable and at the end of 2005, ETRA and ECF jointly organised a meeting with bicycle-friendly Members of the European Parliament (MEP’s). That meeting compounded ECF and ETRA’s belief that the timing was right and, in fact, the offer of support from the MEPs was most encouraging. Both organisations agreed to continue to work together and today ECF and ETRA lobby together on many issues. Daytime running lights, the review of European transport policy, bicycle transportation on international trains, blind spot mirrors are some examples of the current issues at stake. The announced Green Paper on urban transport will be another very important item for ETRA and ECF this year.
Credibility in Brussels
After a year and a half of informal cooperation and following the opening of the new ECF office in Brussels, ETRA and ECF decided to formalise the relationship in a letter of intent. On behalf of their associations, Manfred Neun and Nigel Hill have agreed on three commitments: to cooperate in the field of lobbying for a sound cycling policy at European level, to exchange information and expertise on cycling and to support each other as partners for improving and promoting cycling.
Still, both organisations maintain their independence. For each issue that requires lobbying they consider how to cooperate. The short history of their partnership has already shown that in most cases their interests do run parallel. On several occasions, ETRA and ECF were able to experience that the joint views of cyclists and retailers have greater credibility and find more response in Brussels.
Now is the time
ETRA President Nigel Hill stated: “The energy crisis, transport, environmental and health issues are hitting the media headlines almost every day. The media pressure goes together with a growing public awareness and this will undoubtedly lead to actions by the European authorities. We wish to be fighting for and on behalf of the cycling community to influence the decisions that will be made in that framework. We believe that there is still a major task ahead in persuading the European authorities to improve the conditions for cycling. This partnership with ECF allows us to do that job much more effectively.”
ECF President Manfred Neun concluded: “This year, we expect a boost for cycling as a result of the intensified discussion on climate change. We are much obliged to the UK Stern report that, at last and rightly so, has alerted senior European politicians. Our organisations will continue fighting for better conditions for cyclists, cycling infrastructure and road safety. Particularly in the EU, we want to obtain a better implementation of the Kyoto Protocol. This year, in the framework of Velo-city 2007 in Munich, we will present our political authorities and organisations with a list of demands. Now is the time for a general acknowledgement of the fact that cycling projects and tasks show great promise. Together with ETRA we will campaign to strengthen cycling policies.”
The European professional association for independent bicycle, moped and motorcycle retailers (ETRA) represents circa 5,000 companies, which employ approximately 11,500 people, in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Holland, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) represent 41 national bicycle users associations from 31 European countries with some 500.000 individual members.
Available downloads
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Letterofintent.doc (Microsoft Word-document, 473Kb) Letter of intent |
Discussion
This is great news for bicycling and environmental advocates throughout the world. The EU is leading the industrialized nations in environmental policies and legislative initiatives just as it has been the leader in creating bicycle friendly communities and transit policies. I look forward to the leadership and example of the ECF-ETRA partnership in proactive governmental affairs in Brussels. Jay Townley The Gluskin Townley Group, LLC Lyndon Station, WI 53944 USA(By Jay Townley, January 12, 2007 21:23 | React to Jay Townley)