Just got back, did anyone else from here go?
Hardly 'Thousands of bikes from all over Europe', but a good excuse for a ride I suppose.
Who else went to Brussels then?
Moderator: Staff
-
satinblack
- Learner Driver
- Posts: 38
- Joined: Sep 20th, '05, 10:36
Well done to you guys that went, i have only recently got my bike back on the road after a makeover and could not afford to go and i need to put a few more miles on it to before i trust it for a trip like that!
I have spent many hours trying to make a lot of people realise that we can no longer just take for granted that it's our right to ride bikes it's something we are going to have to fight for especially in the future if the EU gets it's way!
Anyway, don't know if you are MAG/BMF/FEMA members but i have been a MAG member for many years and also what is known as an "MAG Email Activist" and spend a lot of time hassling MP's, MEP's etc and i have just recieved an email from Trevor Baird Director Of Public Affairs (MAG UK) who i am often in contact with and thought you might like to see it, there's a link to some pics at the bottom.
Again, "Respect to you for making the effort"
TO THE EMAIL ARMY
Issued 3rd October 2005
All below you will find the MAG Press Release on the Brussels Demo with
a link to pictures.
I would personally like to thank all those who took part in the demo
and offer apologies for those who missed the speeches and the demo itself.
Unfortunately the Belgian police moved everybody on from the original
start point, leaving MAG Belgium with a logistical nightmare.
Our MAG Belgium colleagues had their riders sweeping the area to pick
up those UK riders that had got lost and stayed behind at the original
starting point as long as possible to help but had to leave to marshal the run.
We greatly appreciate the time effort and money that you have spent to
defend your rights in Europe.
So we can only repeat our apologies for those who did not make it in
time.
The action on the Licence Directive is not over yet and will extend
into 2006 as the Europe Institutions and UK Government seem intent in
drawing out the process of the Directive.
As the UK Government have the Presidency of the EU at the moment we
will need to act and a Mass Lobby of Parliament could be on the cards.
Kind Regards
Trevor Baird
Director Of Public Affairs (MAG UK)
MAG PRESS RELEASE
Brussels Demo Multiplies Riders Vote
Issued 3rd October 2005
Hundreds of riders from the UK converged on the heart of Brussels on
Saturday 1st October to demonstrate against the effects that proposals
contained in the Third EC Driving Licence would have on limiting access
to motorcycles to young and new riders.
The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG UK), British Motorcyclists Federation
(BMF) and Motor Cycle News led demonstration was supplemented by riders from MAG Netherlands and supported by MAG Ireland.
The demonstration focussed on calling for the draconian and premature
legislation contained in the motorcycle part of the Licence Directive
to be removed and to be discussed fully in open forum with the Motorcycle
Community in Europe.
The proposals if agreed come before even the Second EC Driving Licence
Directive has been completed and has ignored European motorcycle
in-depth accident studies which found that experience gained through riding was a key factor and not the age of access.
MAG and the BMF have lobbied UK MEPs over the past months on the issue
and have received varied responses from complete support to indifference
fromriders' political representatives in Europe.
MAG President, Ian Mutch, says, "In gauging public concern on an issue
politicians interpret every letter as reflecting the views of at least
a hundred voters. For every voter who gets on a motorcycle and rides
several 100 miles at great expense to make a point, the factor applied is
nearer 1000. Every one who made the run to Brussels should give themselves a king size pat on the back for voting in the most empathic way for the defence of motorcycling."
While we continue with direct action and putting pressure on the UK
Government, the Motorcycle Community in Europe consisting of the
Federation of European Motorcyclists Federations (FEMA) ACEM, the motorcycle industry in Europe and FIM, the sport federation continues its concerted efforts within the European Institutions to belay the Licence Directives counterproductive and contradictory proposals on training, testing and age access.
Ends
Notes
1. A special thanks to MAG Belgium for organising the logistics of the
demo and to the hard work of their volunteers in hosting and marshalling the UK riders in Brussels.
2. Also our thanks to the Belgian police who escorted the demo ride and
closed road junctions.
3. Pictures of the demo are available at
http://www.network.mag-uk.org/brusselsd ... emo05.html
_______________________________________________
MAG-UK-Activists mailing list
MAG-UK-Activists@lists.mag-uk.org
http://www.lists.mag-uk.org/mailman/lis ... -activists
I have spent many hours trying to make a lot of people realise that we can no longer just take for granted that it's our right to ride bikes it's something we are going to have to fight for especially in the future if the EU gets it's way!
Anyway, don't know if you are MAG/BMF/FEMA members but i have been a MAG member for many years and also what is known as an "MAG Email Activist" and spend a lot of time hassling MP's, MEP's etc and i have just recieved an email from Trevor Baird Director Of Public Affairs (MAG UK) who i am often in contact with and thought you might like to see it, there's a link to some pics at the bottom.
Again, "Respect to you for making the effort"
TO THE EMAIL ARMY
Issued 3rd October 2005
All below you will find the MAG Press Release on the Brussels Demo with
a link to pictures.
I would personally like to thank all those who took part in the demo
and offer apologies for those who missed the speeches and the demo itself.
Unfortunately the Belgian police moved everybody on from the original
start point, leaving MAG Belgium with a logistical nightmare.
Our MAG Belgium colleagues had their riders sweeping the area to pick
up those UK riders that had got lost and stayed behind at the original
starting point as long as possible to help but had to leave to marshal the run.
We greatly appreciate the time effort and money that you have spent to
defend your rights in Europe.
So we can only repeat our apologies for those who did not make it in
time.
The action on the Licence Directive is not over yet and will extend
into 2006 as the Europe Institutions and UK Government seem intent in
drawing out the process of the Directive.
As the UK Government have the Presidency of the EU at the moment we
will need to act and a Mass Lobby of Parliament could be on the cards.
Kind Regards
Trevor Baird
Director Of Public Affairs (MAG UK)
MAG PRESS RELEASE
Brussels Demo Multiplies Riders Vote
Issued 3rd October 2005
Hundreds of riders from the UK converged on the heart of Brussels on
Saturday 1st October to demonstrate against the effects that proposals
contained in the Third EC Driving Licence would have on limiting access
to motorcycles to young and new riders.
The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG UK), British Motorcyclists Federation
(BMF) and Motor Cycle News led demonstration was supplemented by riders from MAG Netherlands and supported by MAG Ireland.
The demonstration focussed on calling for the draconian and premature
legislation contained in the motorcycle part of the Licence Directive
to be removed and to be discussed fully in open forum with the Motorcycle
Community in Europe.
The proposals if agreed come before even the Second EC Driving Licence
Directive has been completed and has ignored European motorcycle
in-depth accident studies which found that experience gained through riding was a key factor and not the age of access.
MAG and the BMF have lobbied UK MEPs over the past months on the issue
and have received varied responses from complete support to indifference
fromriders' political representatives in Europe.
MAG President, Ian Mutch, says, "In gauging public concern on an issue
politicians interpret every letter as reflecting the views of at least
a hundred voters. For every voter who gets on a motorcycle and rides
several 100 miles at great expense to make a point, the factor applied is
nearer 1000. Every one who made the run to Brussels should give themselves a king size pat on the back for voting in the most empathic way for the defence of motorcycling."
While we continue with direct action and putting pressure on the UK
Government, the Motorcycle Community in Europe consisting of the
Federation of European Motorcyclists Federations (FEMA) ACEM, the motorcycle industry in Europe and FIM, the sport federation continues its concerted efforts within the European Institutions to belay the Licence Directives counterproductive and contradictory proposals on training, testing and age access.
Ends
Notes
1. A special thanks to MAG Belgium for organising the logistics of the
demo and to the hard work of their volunteers in hosting and marshalling the UK riders in Brussels.
2. Also our thanks to the Belgian police who escorted the demo ride and
closed road junctions.
3. Pictures of the demo are available at
http://www.network.mag-uk.org/brusselsd ... emo05.html
_______________________________________________
MAG-UK-Activists mailing list
MAG-UK-Activists@lists.mag-uk.org
http://www.lists.mag-uk.org/mailman/lis ... -activists