CONEBI at the informal Council Meeting in Luxembourg 7 th October 2015 CONEBI General Assembly 16 th October 2015 - Milano
The current Presidency of the Council of the European Union is held by Luxembourg I say current because the Presidency of the Council of the European Union rotates among the EU Member States every 6 months
The Presidency of the Council of the EU has 2 main tasks: 1. The first task is to chair the meetings among the Members of the Council of the EU. The Members of the Council of the EU are the Government Ministers from each EU country, according to the policy area to be discussed 2. The second task of the presidency is to represents the Council of the EU in relations with the other EU institutions, particularly with the European Commission and the European Parliament. Its role is to try and reach agreement on legislative files through trilogues in the legislative process.
Trilogues means that 3 parties are part of the legislative process: 1. European Commission 2. European Parliament 3. Council of the European Union (so it is a fundamental actor in the EU Law) The legislative process always starts with a legislative proposal by the EU Commission, which then goes to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union for the vote or amendments: a proposal becomes a Regulation or a Directive only when it is agreed by the mentioned 3 parties.
What about Luxembourg? The Luxembourg Presidency decided to host an informal Council meeting the day before the official Council meeting of the EU Transport Ministers for 2 reasons: 1. to discuss (for the first time in the history of the EU) exclusively about cycling as an essential element of multi-modal mobility chains. In that context the Luxembourg Government invited CONEBI to speak about current and future jobs in the EU Bicycle Industry and its contribution to the Green Growth in Europe. 2. To make the EU Transport Ministers and State Secretaries adopt the so called Luxembourg Declaration
What about Luxembourg? The Luxembourg Presidency decided to host an informal Council meeting the day before the official Council meeting of the EU Transport Ministers for 2 reasons: 1. to discuss (for the first time in the history of the EU) exclusively about cycling as an essential element of multi-modal mobility chains. In that context the Luxembourg Government invited CONEBI to speak about current and future jobs in the EU Bicycle Industry and its contribution to the Green Growth in Europe. 2. To make the EU Transport Ministers and State Secretaries adopt the so called Luxembourg Declaration
1. Jobs and Growth in the EU CONEBI was 1 of the 5 international organizations invited by the Luxembourg Government to have a booth at the informal Council meeting: the other organizations were: WHO (the World Health Organization) THE PEP (the Transport, Health and Environment Pan-European Programme) ETSC (the European Transport Safety Council) ECF (the European Cyclists Federation)
The WHO The WHO is an agency of the United Nations which coordinates the health advocacy at international level
The PEP The PEP advocate for Green, Healthy and Sustainable Mobility and Transport. The PEP collaborates with the UNECE United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
The ETSC The European Transport Safety Council is a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing the numbers of deaths and injuries in transport in Europe. They deal with: speed vulnerable users (so also cyclists) vehicle safety
What about Luxembourg? The Luxembourg Presidency decided to host an informal Council meeting the day before the official Council meeting of the EU Transport Ministers for 2 reasons: 1. to discuss (for the first time in the history of the EU) exclusively about cycling as an essential element of multi-modal mobility chains. In that context the Luxembourg Government invited CONEBI to speak about current and future jobs in the EU Bicycle Industry and its contribution to the Green Growth in Europe. 2. To make the EU Transport Ministers and State Secretaries adopt the so called Declaration on Cycling as a climate friendly Transport Mode
2. To adopt the Declaration The Declaration states 2 important things: a) Cycling has benefits on Innovation, jobs creation and economic Growth in EU, as well as on the environment and on health so it should be taken more into account in the EU financing programmes b) Ministers and State Secretaries call upon the Commission to consider, in full respect of the principle of subsidiarity, the following actions:
- To develop an EU strategic document on Cycling in which to identify EU policy and funding instruments that should be mobilized to increase cycling and to foster employment - To set up what the EU Ministers call a European focal point for cycling, such as a person within the European Commission who can monitor the implementation and the impact of the EU strategy for cycling + a focal point at Member States level, such as a person in each Country to work together with the European focal point.
CONSIDERATIONS a) The mentioned organizations have different specific motivations, but the same objective more cycling, so the Luxembourg Government warmly encourages us to coordinate our advocacy at the European Commission b) A key first step is to encourage Mrs Bulc to nominate, within the next few weeks, her focal point for cycling (as recommended in action plan point number 3 of the Declaration)
making sure that it is a person that is: a) PASSIONATE about cycling, b) well NETWORKED inside not just DG Move, but the entire Commission, and c) should have DIRECT ACCESS either to the Commissioner herself or to a member of her cabinet that is pro-active on cycling her/himself. Because this person, the EU focal point for cycling (which will hopefully evolve into more than just one person) - will be key to the implementation of all the other points of the action plan.
Some pictures
With the Chairman of the Transport Committee of the European Parliament Mr Cramer Pictures of the meeting
With the Chairman of the Transport Committee of the European Parliament Mr Cramer and Commissioner for Transport of the European Commission - Ms Bulc
With the Italian Minister for Transport Mr Delrio
Ministers, State Secretaries and Policy advisors around the table
Ministers and State Secretaries ready for the family photo
Officials from the European Commission
The venue
The Luxembourg Government told CONEBI that this is the right time to push in our advocacy campaign for more funds in the EU Cycling Economy and the EU Bicycle Industry CONEBI has to step up and show to the EU Institutions its potential in the process of Growth in Europe
CONEBI Vice President Mr Büchel was interviewed by Jack of Bike Europe during Asia Bike in Nanjing to speak about the informal Council Meeting of the EU Transport Ministers and CONEBI s participation to it
Thank you for your attention