|
European Politicians Are Motorcyclists Too!
As reported in the last issue of Network MAG headed to Europe in September for the 11th Annual MEP motorcycle ride at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
With a request for volunteers circulated in Network and through your Regional Reps we were able to pull together a small but perfectly formed team for the ride.
This included myself, Nev Chamberlain and ex-Chairman, Ian Moore, who now lives in France and runs a “Bikers B&B”, we joined over a 100 participants at the Ride including 15 Members of the European Parliament from 10 member states.
Amongst the patrons was UK MEP Liz Lynne, (Liz passed her motorcycle test in 2003, following her introduction to motorcycling at a previous MEP Ride) who was joined by UK MEPs Roger Helmer and Robert Sturdy, all three MEP’s reassured their continued support for motorcycling issues in Europe.
The serious side of the ride was the presentation of FEMA’s “European Agenda for Motorcycle Safety”, which sets out the motorcyclists’ perspective regarding the importance of appropriate road infrastructure and the integration and positive contribution that motorcycles, scooters and mopeds can make in urban areas in Europe.
Apart from the serious side of the ride, MEPs had the opportunity to experience first hand, the pleasure of motorcycling and to discuss the importance of motorcycles as a personal mode of transport with experts from riders’ organization throughout Europe.
The four patrons of the event, Helmuth Markov (Germany), Liz Lynne (United Kingdom), Luis Queiro (Portugal), Inger Segelström (Sweden), each gave short speeches at the front of the parliament before the ride and underlined the importance and advantages of motorcycling as well as stressing the importance of consultation with motorcyclists.
You can view the MEP Ride on the FEMA MEP Ride website www.mep-ride.eu and on the MAG MEP Ride website at
www.network.mag-uk.org/MEP Ride
Next years MEP Ride will be in Brussels.
Action Briefing Europe - Follow Up Action:
I have written to the UK MEPs who attended the MEP Ride.
However we need to write to MEPs who did not attend, all MEPs were contacted before the ride, some sent apologies.
Aim:
To promote MAG and FEMA to MEPs.
To inform MEPs of FEMA’s the European Agenda for Motorcycle Safety (EAMS).
For Regional Political Officers or nominated persons to establish or reaffirm a point of presence to MEPs on motorcycle issues, as representatives of MAG.
Objective:
For MEPs to understand the issues that effect motorcycling.
Who:
Regional Political Officers or other nominated person.
Please note this is not a “mass lobby” of the 78 UK MEPs, so no action required at this time for activists or the Email Army.
Regional - Local Group Action:
Building up a relationship with your MEP can be beneficial for future lobbying and as a point of presence to contact on motorcycle issues, especially if you’re just sending a letter of thanks or pointing out information.
Although the MEPs and assistance who attended the MEP Ride have been contacted by the team that attended the MEP Ride, it would do no harm for Regions concerned to drop them a letter of thanks for their support.
These are:
Liz Lynne
Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE)
UK Liberal Democrats
MAG UK Region – West Midlands
Roger Helmer
Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats (EPP-ED)
UK – Conservative
MAG UK Region – Eastern
Robert Sturdy
Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats (EPP-ED)
MAG UK Region – East Anglia
All MEP contact details can be found at http://www.europarl.org.uk/uk_meps/MembersMain.htm
Other MEPS - All Other Regions:
Write a polite letter along the lines of, sorry you missed the MEP Ride, hope you can attend next year, you could use some of the text in the first part of this report to form your letter in your own words.
Mention that MAG is a member of the Federation of European Motorcyclists Associations (FEMA) which represents 23 national riders’ organisations in 18 European countries.
An important bit to include in your letter was the presentation of the “European Agenda for Motorcycle Safety” at the MEP Ride.
Some Suggested Text:
The European Agenda for Motorcycle Safety (EAMS) emphasizes that motorcycles and motorcyclists have different characteristics from other vehicles and their drivers and identifies the specific needs of motorcyclists that must be addressed along with those of other road users.
The EAMS is aimed at providing legislators, decision makers, and all stakeholders dealing with motorcycle safety, with a brief summary of why motorcycle accidents happen from a rider’s perspective and recommendations on how to improve motorcycle safety in some selected areas of particular concern.
A copy of the document can be download at http://www.fema.ridersrights.org/docs/EAMS2007.pdf
Start - End:
Don’t forget to introduce yourself as a representative of MAG in the MEPs constituency.
You could finish of the letter thanking them for their attention and don’t hesitate to get in touch on motorcycle related matters.
Don’t get dishearten if your MEP passes on you letter for a reply from a colleague. Although MEPs represent the whole of their region, they may have divided the region up and will have a spokesperson on transport issues.
Finally as ever please let me know which MEPs you have written to and pass their replies to myself.
Trevor Baird
General Secretary (MAG UK)
MAG UK
PO BOX 750
Rugby
CV21 3ZR
Tel: +44 (0)1788 570065
Fax: +44 (0)1788 570052
Email: general-secretary@mag-uk.org
|
