The IMCO vote, which is tabled to take place on 5th Dec, (as it was on 22nd Nov and 17th October and in June before that…) looks set to be taken before the MEPs have gathered the information that they may need to make an informed decision.

If you happen to live in one of the following areas, you may wish to contact the relevant MEP (below) with a version of the letter at the bottom of this note.

An Impact Assessment is currently being undertaken into aspects of the proposed Type Approval Regulation, regarding the speed at which new emission criteria should be introduced or whether Euro 6 levels of emission control should be introduced at all, as well as good old ABS for all.

Regulations aren’t usually delayed this long and it’s a testament to the lobbying so far that so much attention is being given this piece of legislation, but it would severely undermine the credibility of the EU legislative process (I know, I know..) if a committee were to make a decision that effects us all, and the motorcycle industry, without first considering all the available information.

It will be embarrassing if it has to be postponed yet again, but with weight of feeling, it may be. Questions have now been asked in EU Parliament about the quality of the original impact assessment that the Commission did as part of the original proposal, and a complaint to the Ombudsman now has to be answered by the Commission, so the case continues to build.

The vote is timetabled for Monday 5th December and the following MEPs are either members of the IMCO (internal market and consumer protection committee) or substitute members.

In Scotland:

Catherine Stihler Labour MEP

(full member and shadow raporteur) is currently on maternity leave, but her mail will be forwarded to the relevant person.

cstihlermep2@btconnect.com

Ian Hudghton SNP MEP

(substitute member)

ian.hudghton@europarl.europa.eu

George Lyon Lib Dem MEP

(substitute member)

george.lyon@europarl.europa.eu

In West Midlands:

Malcolm Harbour Con MEP

(chairman of committee)

malcolm.harbour@europarl.europa.eu

In East Midlands:

Emma McClarkin Con MEP

(substitute member)

emma.mcclarkin@europarl.europa.eu

In London:

Claude Moraes Labour MEP

(substitute member)

claude.moraes@europarl.europa.eu

In South West:

Ashley Fox Con MEP

(substitute member)

ashley@ashleyfoxmep.co.uk

Trevor Colman UKIP MEP

trevor.colman@europarl.europa.eu

There are a lot of substitute members but remember, there are committee members from all over Europe but these ones are those that we can hold directly accountable, as they represent us in the UK. Please feel free to use any or all of the letter below if you would like to, inserting/deleting the relevant bits.

Dear

I note with some dismay that the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO) upon which you sit as a member/substitute member, is planning to vote on 5th December on the amendments that have been under discussion regarding the proposed Regulation on Type Approval and Market Surveillance of 2 and 3 wheeled vehicles.

This appears to be in spite of the fact that there is an Impact Assessment ongoing, having only commenced on 23rd November, into certain aspects of the proposed regulation.

I urge you to consider the impact that this will have, not only on your ability to make an informed decision, but also on the credibility of the European legislative process, which will appear to be one that carries on regardless of the interests of those citizens most affected and any evidence that may appear to the contrary to that presented by the Commission.

Yours sincerely,

Thank you for any of the letters you may have written in the past. Please remember the battle is not over.

Representatives of the Labour and Lib Dems were there, as well as two independent councillors and a small but vocal two dozen riders asking questions.

The leader of the Labour Group in Derby City, Paul Bayliss even joined MAG on the night and is pictured with Paddy Tyson, MAG’s Campaigns Manager.

Huge thanks to the two fledgling Derbyshire MAG groups who put on the event and especially Jules and Sean, the respective reps.

Lee and all the staff at Bridge put on an excellent spread for those attending and apart from the panel of councillors and hopeful new candidates from all the main parties, there was Green Party attendance which is a welcome first for RAV.

It was a lively evening, that started when two of the candidates, Lib Dem and Conservative, went for a first ever ride on the pillion of the Devon Advanced Motorcyclists.

As the evening progressed, the Labour sitting Councillor in Exeter City Council joined MAG, as did four other individuals and there were pledges of corporate MAG memberships from 3 organisations, one of which being the regional Conservative Party!

Paddy Tyson, MAG’s campaigns manager used the closing moments of the evening to highlight the Get A Grip (GAG) campaign for consistent road surfaces and everyone who hadn’t already, signed the GAG petition.

Huge thanks to everyone who attended, and especially to John Groves who put a fantastic event together. All the politicians said they had a really informative evening and learnt alot about the issues affecting riders and that after all, is what it’s all about.

It was a lively and informative evening and the MP reiterated the call from Simon Frampton of Brighton MAG, that riders must speak to the relevant people if they want their voice to be heard.

Riders Are Voters, but the issues we care about will not appear on the political agenda unless we put them there.

Paddy Tyson, MAG’s campaigns manager, gave a presentation on the new GET A GRIP! campaign for consistent grip levels on our road network and had brought a new, ‘composite non-slip’ manhole cover with him that everyone was invited to stand on. The grip offered is exactly the same as surrounding tarmac and will make a massive difference to riders in both urban and rural areas if they become the standard fit.

Although many of the questions from the floor were of a local transportation nature, MP Weatherley asked that riders write to him anyway, so that he can ensure the Secretary of State is made aware of certain issues that effect riders nationally.

The Question Time Event that will be hosted by Chandlers BMW in April, will be before the local elections of 5th May, and, like QTs accross the country, will see local candidates from all political persuasions answering questions directly from riders.

The people seeking election will be the very people responsible for nonslip manhole covers, bike parking, access to bus-lanes etc. If they don’t know there is a problem, they will never act to rectify the situation.

Riders Are Voters will be giving you the opportunity to make your voice heard. I hope you’ll be a part of it.

Huge thanks to Chris and Simon of Brighton MAG and to Emmet and all at Chandlers BMW, for organising the event and demonstrating that motorcycling matters.