The members of the FEMA/FIM Europe working group met in Brussels last week and discussed all the issues that are currently important to motorcycling.

Both FIM Europe and FEMA are motorcyclists’ organizations active on the European scene, and even though we come from totally different backgrounds, we try to find common ground.

FEMA’s General Secretary Dolf Willigers: “The FEMA/FIM Europe working group meets three times a year to develop a good cooperation that will benefit motorcyclists. By working (and sometimes lobbying) together, the voice of the European riders will become much stronger.”

At the meeting last week, the working group decided that the two organizations should alternate chairing the group. The coming year FEMA will be in charge and Morten Hansen (NMCU Norway) was elected chairman. The working group then discussed a long list of issues, such as self driving cars and the need to ensure that testing with motorcycles is done properly, the latest developments in motorcycle training and the need for motorcycle friendly infrastructure.

Silvio Manicardi, FIM Europe Vice President, stated after the meeting: “FEMA and FIM Europe represent 37 million users of motorcycles in Europe. I appreciate the sense of cooperation and friendship of all the members of the working group to achieve the common goals.”

Morten Hansen, the newly elected chairman of the working group, said: “The basis for the close cooperation of the two organisations is the excellent OECD report on motorcycle safety, officially presented in 2015. Since then we have agreed on joint position papers on all important issuses. Now it is time to focus on the joint practical lobby work. FIM Europe and FEMA will speak with one voice in meetings with stakeholders, making the message from European riders come over even stronger. We will offer to share our huge expertise on motorcycling matters, and expect that no decicion is taken without the opinion of FEMA and FIM Europe being taken into account.”

On the picture, from the left:

– Wim Taal, FEMA Communications Officer
– Dolf Willigers, FEMA Secretary General
– Rolf Frieling, FEMA
– John Chatterton-Ross, FIM Europe
– Morten Hansen, FEMA
– Jesper Christensen, FIM Europe
– Silvio Manicardi, FIM Europe Vice President

Picture by Magnus Klys.