International Dealer News IDN 117 Feb/Mar 2014 | Page 40

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ACEM calls for globally harmonised
standards and elimination of
"trade-disruptive environments"
THE 10th ACEM annual
conference in Brussels (January
29th) was titled "A Global
Vision for the Powered TwoWheeler market" - the focus
was on the opportunities and
barriers for European
motorcycle and component
manufacturers seeking to
compensate for lost domestic
European sales through access
to international markets.
ACEM (the Motorcycle Industry
European Association) attracted
more than 130 attendees
representing businesses, EU
policy makers and national
administrations. The discussions
addressed the challenges faced
by the motorcycle sector in the

EU, the opportunities created by
emerging economies and how
EU trade and industrial policy
can effectively support the
sector.
ACEM presented provisional
2013 statistics for the powered
Two-Wheeler (PTW) sector. The
figures clearly showed that the
motorcycle industry still faces a
critical situation with sales and
registrations of PTWs going
down for six consecutive years
(between 2008 and 2013), with
historically large Southern
European PTW markets such as
Italy, France, Spain and Greece
having been severely hit by the
financial and economic crisis.
ACEM's thesis is that while new

business opportunities for
European motorcycle and
component producers are
arising in emerging markets
(such as China, India and
Vietnam), with some
successfully establishing
operations in emerging
international markets, they and
many others remain concerned
about critical regulatory
obstacles such as excessive
import duties and other
strategic non-tariff barriers.
As the President of ACEM
Stephan Schaller (CEO BMW
Motorrad) pointed out
“emerging economies offer
enormous opportunities for
growth, unfortunately market

The 10th annual ACEM Conference was moderated by Fabian Zuleeg, Chief Executive of the European Policy Centre,
and included contributions from (left to right) Bernd Lange, MEP; Wim van de Camp, MEP; Jacques Compagne, ACEM
secretary General; Stephan Schaller, ACEM President (BWM Motorrad President); Peter Balas, Deputy Director General
at the European Commission’s Directorate General for Trade; Carlo Pettinelli, European Commission's Director for
Industrial Policy and Economic Analysis

conditions are not always fair
for European businesses”.
ACEM say that "the
harmonisation of technical
regulations across regions is
essential. The adoption of
global standards, particularly
within the framework of UNECE
[United Nations Economic
Commission for Europe,
Geneva], would significantly
improve the overall
competitiveness of the
motorcycle industry."
ACEM say that the EU needs to
focus on reinforcing "Europe’s
manufacturing base fully in line
with the Commission’s recent
communication on a European
Industrial Renaissance."
However, ACEM fears that to be
successful, this process must
"take into account the specific
conditions of extra-EU
developing economies, which
represent today around 90% of
the world’s market."
ACEM says it supports a global
vision for the PTW market, one
in which "adequate regulatory
and trade conditions benefit
both industry and consumers."
As ACEM President Stephan
Schaller went on to say
“industrial policy must comprise
smart and harmonised
regulations, access to the
markets, and fair competition.
ACEM will continue to closely
work with EU Institutions to
promote and achieve this
important objective”.
ACEM membership consists of
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