Every year, the European Commission organises a Green Week, which is a week of seminars, workshops and events aimed at discussing environmental problems and solutions. The central theme this year is “Only One Earth, don’t waste it”. Furthermore, the Commission wants to illustrate by means of the Green Week how we can change our behaviour for the benefit of the environment. The Green Week takes place from 3 to 6 June in the Charlemagne-building, just across the Berlaymont-building in the heart of Brussels’ European district.

 

To ETRA, the Green Week is a unique opportunity to make European decision-makers aware of what the bicycle can do for their policies.  As a result, ETRA has proposed to the Commission to set up a test track for bicycles and for emission-free motorised two-wheelers in the vicinity of the Charlemagne-building. The objective of the event is to show the participants of the Green Week how two-wheelers can be part of the solution to environmental and other problems and what the state of the art in the field of two-wheelers is.

 

To illustrate how easy it is for short trips to swap the car for a greener means of transport, ETRA has organised in the framework of last year’s Mobility Week a successful electric bike ride for MEPs and has displayed a number of bicycles in the Parliament. The Commission received positive feedback on that event and, as a result, accepted ETRA’s proposal for the Green Week. On Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 June the esplanade of the Berlaymont-building will be occupied by a test track for state of the art bicycles and electric two-wheelers. The test track on this 600 m˛ will be built by Extra Energy. The track will include a small ramp to show the specific functioning of electric bikes. However, the test fleet will not be limited to electric vehicles, but will comprise folding bikes, city bikes equipped with innovative components, cargo bikes, … For the supply of the vehicles, ETRA will work in close cooperation with the manufacturers. As was the case for last year’s event, participation in this event will be reserved to ETRA’s associated members. Also, both the number of participating companies and the number of vehicles per company will have to be limited, in accordance with the space available.

 

ETRA is currently looking into additional actions to increase press attention. At last year’s event, a state of the art bicycle was handed over to the President of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering, as a contribution to making transport generated by Parliament more sustainable. The Green Week coincides with the launch of a very innovative rental scheme for electric bikes in the German city of Stuttgart. The system will be shown at the test track and Extra Energy is in contact with Stuttgart’s town hall to arrange a visit of the Mayor or Vice-Mayor to the Green Week. Finally, all Commission departments involved in or supporting cycling projects have been informed of the event and have been invited to participate. Last year for instance, the energy-efficient transport, alternative fuels and clean vehicles unit of IEE participated at the show in the European Parliament with a presentation of their cycling projects.

 

ETRA will finalise the conditions for participating in the test track in the next few days. However, interested companies should come forward as soon as possible. Participation is open to anybody who can present a state of the art and emission-free vehicle, component and/or accessory. Since the number of participants will be limited, ETRA will have to apply a first comes, first served policy. In any case, so many emission-free vehicles riding in the very heart of EU-Brussels will undoubtedly be a unique sight!

 

For participation, please contact ETRA Secretary General, Annick Roetynck: tel. +32 9 233 60 05 – E-mail etra@pandora.be

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