As the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) committee heads towards the scheduled vote on the 5th December regarding EU Regulations for motorcycles, we take a closer look at issues in the lead up to the vote.
 
The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG UK) reported on November 23rd that “today sees the start of a new Impact Assessment into the EU Type Approval Regulation.” Stating that, “This has been demanded by the European Parliament following the incredible amount of work which has been done by every one of us who wrote to our MEPs or who rode in the protests of the 25th September.”
 
Regarding the scheduled vote in the IMCO committee, Paddy Tyson from MAG UK comments, “we have very good cause to believe it will be moved yet again, as there is no way the IA can be completed, a report prepared, and the Committee members have time to read it, before the 5th December”.
 
At Right To Ride, we make it our business to look in-depth at the issues, we always take a step back to look at the wider picture, to look at the background surrounding the issues before reporting factually and giving our opinion.
 
While we have every respect for MAG the organisation, is this information supplied by MAG’s Campaign Manager Paddy Tyson offering false hope to riders without an understanding of the technical contents of the proposal?
 
Paddy Tyson says this new Impact Assessment into the EU Type Approval Regulation will, “delay proceedings enough to set back the regulation till the Spring, at a Strasbourg meeting, which will be “MAG’s time to get out on the streets again.”
 
The Impact Assessment that Paddy Tyson mentions is not looking at the whole regulation proposal as submitted by the European Commission. The Impact Assessment will be looking at three compromise amendments which were submitted by MEPs to the IMCO Rapporteur, Mr van de Camp’s report.
 
To clarify, the European Commission has already had an Impact Assessment carried out and published on their proposed regulation.
 
Because these three amendments are substantive amendments to the proposal, the Chair of the IMCO committee, UK MEP Malcolm Harbour, has asked for an Impact Assessment specifically in relation to these three amendments.
 
These three amendments are:
 •Moving the ABS introduction date forward by a year.
 •Extending ABS cover to Powered Two Wheelers more than 50cc.
 •Earlier introduction of On Board Diagnostics II (OBD II)
 
The reason for the Impact Assessment on these amendments, is that none of these specific amendments have ever been costed. So the European Parliament through the IMCO committee, as the responsible committee, is assessing the amendments for potential impacts to the regulation.
 
So are there any advantages for riders in this specific Impact Assessment?

Our view is: Not in the grand scheme of things. It would appear that the Impact Assessment on these three amendments (as amendments that would have an impact on the proposed regulation), is to determine the cost and any disadvantages to manufacturers and riders.

The vote on the amendments in the IMCO committee is scheduled for the 5th December and it is possible that the Impact Assessment (relating to the three amendments mentioned above) would not be completed before this vote.
 
However our understanding is that even if the Impact Assessment is not ready for the vote on the 5th December, work on the Impact Assessment (relating to the three amendments mentioned above) would continue and once concluded would be used in informal negotiations known as trilogues.
 
It would appear not to be the great hope of, “every delay is a minor victory” but a tidying up of amendments to get to the bottom of the issues and to better align with and take into account the progress in the Council and introduction dates.

Full details on Right To Ride EU