Every year, the European Commission organises a Green Week, which is a week of seminars, workshops and events aimed at discussing environmental problems and solutions. The central theme this year is “Only One Earth, don’t waste it”. Furthermore, the Commission wants to illustrate by means of the Green Week how we can change our behaviour for the benefit of the environment. The Green Week takes place from 3 to 6 June in the Charlemagne-building, just across the Berlaymont-building in the heart of Brussels’ European district.
To ETRA, the Green Week is a unique opportunity to make European decision-makers aware of what the bicycle can do for their policies. As a result, ETRA has proposed to the Commission to set up a test track for bicycles and for emission-free motorised two-wheelers in the vicinity of the Charlemagne-building. The objective of the event is to show the participants of the Green Week how two-wheelers can be part of the solution to environmental and other problems and what the state of the art in the field of two-wheelers is.
To illustrate how easy it is for short trips to swap the car for a greener means of transport, ETRA has organised in the framework of last year’s Mobility Week a successful electric bike ride for MEPs and has displayed a number of bicycles in the Parliament. The Commission received positive feedback on that event and, as a result, accepted ETRA’s proposal for the Green Week.
The event will consist of a test-track for emission free vehicles on the esplanade of the Berlaymont building in the heart of Brussels’ European district:
- on Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 June 2008
- built by Extra-Energy
- not only for electric bikes, but for all state of the art bicycles, components, accessories, electric mopeds, electric scooters, etc.
The objective of the test-track is to show to the participants of the Green Week the wide range of possibilities for green and sustainable mobility.
There is currently 600m² at our disposal for the test-track and for showing products, but we are awaiting further news on additional space.
Who can participate? Any company that is or becomes an associated member (extensive programme) of ETRA and that wishes to show to the participants of the Green Week state of the art components, accessories, bicycles, electric bikes, electric mopeds, electric scooters, … for urban transport. With this event, we want to inform the Green Week delegates on the wide variety of green and sustainable means of urban transport and on their benefits in the field of environment, transport, public health, etc.
To date Batavus, Flyer, Gazelle, Giant, Koga and Sparta have confirmed their participation, while we are still awaiting the final decision of a number of other companies.
Should you wish to participate or for further details, please contact Annick Roetynck at the following address: tel. +32 9 233 60 05, E-mail etra@pandora.be
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