CONEBI appointed by the European
Commission as co-chair of the EU Mobility Transition Pathway:
how the EU and the Cycling Industry can work together on a Long-term Industrial
Strategy in Europe
Brussels, 5 June 2023 – The European Union has the objective to accelerate
the Green and Digital transition and to increase the European industry
resilience, also with a link to the supply chain disruptions noticed during the
pandemic and its consequences in the strategic long-term development of the
Bicycle Industry in Europe. To that end, the European Commission (DG Grow)
appointed CONEBI to co-chair a roundtable of discussions on the
current competitiveness of the European industry, how this competitiveness
could be improved, and the role of regulations and standards in supporting
steady industrial growth.
Among the key issues
discussed between April and May,
- the
need for EU Funding to strengthen the manufacturing and R&D base in
Europe (including via ad-hoc clusters and specific programmes);
- the
future E-Bike and Personal Mobility Devices EU regulatory classification;
- the
importance of a properly developed battery ecosystem;
- the
positive impact of the EU Trade Defense Instruments on further reshoring
in Europe;
- the
role of the EU and national governments in supporting the growth of
cycling in Europe
EBMA, CIE, CONEBI’s national member organizations, and a delegation of
companies from all over Europe have also taken part in the roundtable
discussions with the CONEBI Secretariat and the European Commission’s DG
GROW – which is responsible for Internal Market, Industry,
Entrepreneurship, and SMEs policies.
Together
with the Bicycle Industry, 3 more industrial sectors have been invited to provide input and co-create an EU Industrial Strategy proposal, taking into
consideration the different competencies at EU, national, and regional levels: Automotive, Rail, and Waterborne.
That follows:
- the
communication from the European Commission in 2021 regarding the need for
a new industrial strategy that underlines the fundamental importance of
innovation, competition, and a strong and well-functioning EU single
market – while strengthening global competitiveness through open markets
and a level playing field (link).
- The
European Parliament’s resolution of February 2023 calling on the European
Commission and EU Member States to work together on an EU Cycling
Strategy, which includes support for the role of the industry (link).
- The
announcement by Vice President Timmermans in March that the European
Commission is going to work in that direction and release its strategy in
the fall of 2023, alongside the proposal by the Belgian government to
bring together all EU Member States in the request for more EU funding to
support the promotion of Cycling nationally (link).
The process linked to the EU Mobility Transition Pathway will lead to the
publication of a policy report by the European Commission in the second part of
2023, which will take stock of the open dialogue held between
April and May, and set the path for the future on how to boost investments in
the Green and Digital transition in Europe – a priority for the EU. Afterwards,
the European Commission will encourage, collect and support public and private
stakeholder commitments to concrete actions to make the mentioned transition as
tangible and supportive as possible for the Automotive, Rail, Waterborne, and
Cycling Industries.
Erhard Büchel, CONEBI President, said: ‘’We value the recognition by the
European Commission of the advocacy work that has been carried out over the
years on the level of EU regulatory, standardization and political files
impacting the Bicycle Industry: being actively part of the discussions on the
Mobility Transition in Europe, together with the Automotive, Rail, and
Waterborne industries is a step that reinforces our confidence about the work
done so far’’.
