EU Parliament Members Meet e-Bikes

BRUSSELS , Belgium – Last Thursday, September 16, at the start of the European Mobility Week, a very special e-Bike exhibition and demonstration took place on the doorstep of the European Parliament building in Brussels. Part of the exhibition was an equally special conference with EU Parliament members which took place on the special ‘Conference Bike’.

The exhibition and demonstration of electric bikes was organized by the European Parliament Mobility Unit, Greens EFA and the European Trade Association for Bicycle Dealers (ETRA). About 12 companies presented their newest electric bicycles with among them Batavus, Clean Mobile, Dahon, Ekolo.cz, Segway and Yikebike.

The conference with EU Parliament members that took place on the special ‘Conference Bike’ addressed the question: “How to better include electric bicycles in the European electric mobility policies?” Participants in the conference were: Jo Leinen, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and President ENVI Committee; Silvia Ticau, MEP and Vice-President TRAN Committee; Michael Cramer MEP and spokesman Transport Policy Greens EFA in EP; Mathieu Grosch, MEP and member of the TRAN Committee; Cristina Marolda, (DG MOVE - Road Safety) and Anne-France Rihoux (Belgian Presidency – Ministry Climate & Energy). The conference was moderated by Bike Europe’s editor in chief Jack Oortwijn
 
During this conference Mathieu Grosch made a significant statement. He said that it is necessary to designate certain parts of allocated budgets for road-infrastructure for cycling. Up till now only the Green Party in the European Parliament supported this. Apparently Grosch is changing his views on this matter which is critical for the future expansion of bike usage. Mathieu Grosch is member of the Group of the European People's Party; is member of the Committee on Transport & Tourism and contributed to the report on “The future of Transport” which was voted on last June in the European Parliament.

Next to these members of the European Parliament others visited the e-Bike exhibition and tried out models available for test rides. Also members of the European Commission, responsible for vehicle policymaking joined the exhibition and demonstration to see the latest developments in electric bicycles.