Fédération Internationale des Clubs de Motorhomes
FICM
La Fédération Internationale des Clubs de Motorhomes est l'association faîtière ("umbrella") qui réunit plus de 50 clubs régionaux, tous constitués en associations non marchandes (publiant leurs revues périodiques) et fédérées au niveau de chaque pays.
ID: 281777435616-61
Lobbying Activity
Response to Revision of the Directive on Driving Licences
24 May 2023
For the attention of the Honourable Members of the European Parliament and High Representatives of the European Council The IFMC, as a 47 year old motor-home user clubs umbrella association covering 10 countries (including UK and Switzerland), welcomes the intention of the European Commission to improve once more our regulations on Drive Licence through a major revision which, together with a bunch of new legislations you are asked to pronounce on before the end of this legislature, will UNDOUBTEDLY redefine the way of life for every European Citizen in the coming years. Late recognition of climate issues justifies dramatic decisions in number of domains to be taken. **** We understand today that combining ROAD SECURITY and CLIMATE ACTION issues within brand new regulatory texts must have been a considerable challenge for hundreds of highly specialized experts, scientists, consultants, dedicated institutes, industry and user representatives, Member States and EC officials. **** The current consultation on the revision of Drive Licence 2006/126 delivers remarkable texts as an attempt: 1° DLD 2023/127 to improve inter-operability of Member States administrations in charge of drive licence registration and management on European scale; 2° DLD 2023/128 to cure our European roads from any possible undesired drivers, for reasons as health condition, behavior on the road, ability to drive or lack of knowledge on new and emerging embedded technologies. For more detail, please refer to the 2023 /128 consultation closing by 8 of June. As a consumer association caring for motorhome adepts from over 50 regional clubs, we must recognize that there is a real effort from EC side to come up to us with some improvement on the way to turn towards electric motoring under B licence regime with GVWR up to 4250 kg. Adjustment of our Drive Licence card to allow 4250 kg should not imply any change for end date and should not require extra test certification or medical check. However, our deception is great to see that NOTHING is foreseen to help current owners to benefit: nearly all of our motorhomes are Diesel propelled! Allowing ALL cars to be driven up to 4250 Kg under B licence only if full electric mode is NON SENSE. It will lead to more and more SUVs, more and more fast starts with non volatile particles, more of the same with their brakes. In the meantime, our motorhomes run overloaded and we have to pay for weight infringement and wrong permit usage. On the other hand, we appreciate that standard permit duration becomes 15 years instead of 10. Please refer to our comments on DLD 2023/128 consultation closing by 8 of June. This allows a young candidate to access at 18, renew at 33-48-63 up to 70 without specific constraint. e-Vehs strategies by EC lead us raising eyebrows Paradoxical measures are taken among some Member States. By subsidizing e-Vehs for fleet cars, they get expensive and comfortable cars on highways with short autonomy, while city inhabitants, lower class and ageing people must replace their old ICE cars by smaller and expensive mini-cars due to LEZ or parking constraints. Overall IFMC Objectives 1. Repeated requests since the 90's from motorhome owners to increase the payload under the B licence. For more than 25 years we have been asking for a minimum payload of 500 kg when the vehicle is delivered, but manufacturers refuse to guarantee it. By now, we ask for 4500 kg in order to keep a chance. 3. The need to absolve 85% of MH users who have been driving at risk of overload and illegally for more than 25 years. Please clic on https://www.ficm-aisbl.eu/page/2317127-memorandum-ficm) sent to Madam Adina-Ioanna Válean, Commissionar. This document highlights an extraordinary misunderstanding that last since DLD EEC 80/1269. We found the problem came from a single, persistent and fussy official. *********************** For full text of current comment, please download attached file. ***********************
Read full response19 Apr 2022
The IFMC is a 46 year old motor-home user clubs umbrella association covering over 50 regional motor-home clubs throughout a dozen European countries (including UK and Switzerland).
We welcome the intention of the European Commission to improve safety on roads by adjusting type-approval procedures for technical requirements regarding vehicles produced in unlimited series, small series, special purpose vehicles and fully automated vehicles.
The motor-home industry is producing lots of small series of vehicles along multi-stage processes.
All those vehicles are based on bodyworks from or derived from small or medium commercial van industry.
IFMC’s aim in this consultation is to express our concern as a consumer association which is fully independent from any industrial, commercial or financial interests.
Our first concern is security on roads.
Our terms of reference are :
B licence GVWR, real workload information, electric brakes, air suspension, child seat anchorage;
Embedded electronics, Quality control, Self-test threshold.
IFMC opinion
Let’s start with a positive point.
In spite of spectacular growth rates, motor-home as a vehicle-type will not get you raising eyebrows for security concern.
Opposit to commercial vans figures, MH figures are very low, as far as we have relevant statistics like in Germany.
Such low figures of accidents and casualties come from low mileage, slow leisure speed and cost of ownership.
MH life time is significantly higher than mainstream A-Type vehicles (frequently 25 year), as MH might be considered in public space as a rolling and temporary residence, for leisure time, you improve every time you can.
Meanwhile, they are M1 family vehicles of special purpose type as defined by Directive 2001/116 (Annex II, point 5), with exclusive specifics listed under point 5.1.
They need full consideration for passive security of their driver and passengers, just the same as mainstream A-type cars.
They need active security in terms of behaviour, stability and safety in case of crash.
Negative points follow.
Current production from the European motor-home industry leads to unfit-for-purpose vehicles, at over 80% of the MH fleet. Estimates from our members and from reports on social media highlight a common practice of overload driving with heavy penalty risks from law enforcement forces.
This situation is bound to a choice made by MH manufacturers to comply with B drive licence GVWR restriction at 3500 kg, a regulation dating back to XVIIe century as highlighted to Mrs Adina Válean, Commissionar for Mobility & Transport in the IFMC May 2021 fully documented Memorandum on the issue.
That very old legislation was justified by then level of pulling and braking technologies.
Consequently, as from an emerging phenomenon in the ‘70s, the European MH fleet grew to over 2.5 million units in 2020 with 10 to 15% of yearly sales growth, making the European motor-home industry a flourishing and highly financially consolidated build up.
New registrations in 2021 vs year 2020 show exponential growth in a dozen countries with Austria culminating at 61% and Belgium at 39%.
Meanwhile, they will not escape current time uncertainties (of which we gave an insight in ref. EURO7)
MH market is currently 100% bound to Diesel tech which is officially dead ended, leading to a general decline in the diesel market throughout Europe.
This growing MH Diesel market goes disconnected from the highest recommendations from the Green Deal as expressed by European Commission President before the European Parliament, in October 2021:
2050 target:
1. Zero dead
2. Carbon neutrality
3. Nobody left behind
4. Year 2022 declared Year of the Youth
Users complain
Please find our full text in attachment.
Read full responseResponse to EU standards for safe and secure parkings
10 Feb 2022
The IFMC / FICM is the International Federation of Motorhome Clubs, with over 50 regional clubs in Europe, including Switzerland and the UK.
We would like to welcome the Commission's initiative to persistently strive to improve the working conditions of professional drivers in Europe.
The draft proposal we can see today reflects a broad vision of the systemic challenge they face regarding the traffic forecasts of the coming years, the energy transition and the increasing automation of driving and signalling processes. Their individual learning procceses will be without doubt very sollicited.
On our side, there are today more than 2.5 million European motorhome drivers on Europe's roads, trying to keep their profile as low as possible between thousands of trucks and heavy goods vehicles.
They often suffer from the same shortage of parking spaces as HGV drivers on the motorways, as the lack of overnight parking spaces is similar for us.
We spend the night between two or more large trucks and see the terrible living conditions of these professionals first hand. This is their fate, day after day and night after night.
In comparison, we are lucky to have good beds, toilets, bathrooms and kitchens at hand, as well as television and soft seats to relax in.
This is an absolutely terrible situation, and the only thing we can do is to keep very humble and compassionate.
Sometimes we can help with a "Hello", a friendly conversation or a small service. Let's open a toilet... for a minute! It happens !
The kilometres long queues in some places, not only on the Channel coast, but also at major junctions or approaching Schengen controls (both sides !) provide many examples of a total lack of consideration for people's natural needs.
It is clear that the working conditions of road professionals have deteriorated over the years despite new regulations imposing driving time limits and proper rest. They have become 21st century slaves in their own right.
While safety on the road comes at a price on the one hand, staying healthy by reducing stress and good food remains a higher and individual priority, in the short and long term.
Time controller is a killer in its own right, a privilege granted to the authorities on the one hand, and to fleet managers on the other, since parking planning is mostly illusory for their men.
So let's keep a cool head.
The situation is appalling and unworthy of our times.
It is time to shake up the Member States and their Legislators in order to correct this unacceptable ratio of available to needed spaces (7000/400000, as mentioned in the introductory document : less than 0,02% of the requrements…) given the huge fleet of transport vehicles in demand.
Requisitions must be on the agenda, together with independent control of proper parking implementations.
As a first priority, we must complete the shortage with an ambitious agenda, with minimum comfort in terms of strict sanitary and environment criteria (trees !).
Improvement my come over time, gradually along concret 5-10 year planning. This is a public responsibility to be properly monitored at European level.
Golden and Platinium subs is another question. Much more investment will be required from the start, indeed. But there is market for those as well and private investors would be called up.
On ours side at IFMC, we recommend that motorhomers do not stay at motorway service/parking areas at night. Such places are not quiet, unsafe regarding intrusions. Predators are too quickly on the way to be pursued.
Provided that they leave for nearby villages, a few kilometres away, motorhomers can find quiet places to stop. There is a chance that they will meet locals the next day and have better and cheaper food than at the motorway service areas.
Road professionals like driving. They like their job.
Many of them join us after a career on high traffic roads, with a motorhome over 7.5T !
Together, with their partner, we discover another Europe. And we listen to them.
Read full responseResponse to Ex post evaluation of the European Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund 2014-2020
9 Feb 2022
La FICM se félicite de voir la Commission européenne entreprendre l’évaluation des réalisations du Fonds européen de Développement Régional et du Fonds de Cohésion 2014-2020.
Nous demandons donc à la Commission européenne de considérer cette contribution comme le point de vue du consommateur et de l'utilisateur final.
En tant qu'association faîtière de plus de 50 clubs d'utilisateurs de motorhomes répartis dans une dizaine d’Etats Membres, nous sommes témoins attentifs, à l’occasion de nos voyages, des nombreuses réalisations développées sur toute l’étendue des territoires de l’Union et dûment signalées sur des panneaux d’information.
Les adeptes du motorhome comptent environ 2,5 millions de véhicules en Europe.
Ils appartiennent à toutes les générations et relèvent d’une grande diversité de profils. Nombre d’entre eux voyagent à leur gré tout au long de l’année, dans toute l’Europe.
Dans chaque pays, les camping-caristes sont probablement la catégorie de population qui connaît le mieux ses territoires, son histoire et ses paysages. Ils parcourent l'Europe inlassablement en consommant localement, à l’affût de culture, patrimoine et belle nature. Les points chauds ne sont pas privilégiés, mais les villes et les campagnes accueillent la plupart d'entre nous, éventuellement dans leurs fermes pendant quelques jours. Nous visitons des milliers de magasins et nous sommes à l'écoute des habitants. Nous sommes des Européens modernes, issus d'une Europe sans frontières. Nos hôtes regardent l'Europe à partir de la base, et ils rejettent souvent la faute sur l'Europe pour diverses raisons.
Les progrès techniques des soixante dernières années, découlant de l’industrialisation et des mutations en matière de processus de production, ont eu pour conséquence plus ou moins partout une redistribution des populations à travers les territoires en fonctions d’espérances nouvelles : celles de trouver en ville un bon emploi et une vie meilleurs (voir contribution FICM sur les Services Postaux : ……………………………..
La création des Fonds Structurels européens remonte à un peu plus de 30 ans, nous en voyons partout les résultats et, de manière frappante, plus particulièrement dans les pays les plus récemment intégrés.
Les citoyens européens doivent savoir que la manne financière portée par ces fonds est redistribuée sur base de leurs projets, en cofinancements soumis à quelques conditions impératives (dont le respect du principe de subsidiarité) mais pris en charge localement par des regroupements d’intérêt publics ou privés.
Le défi devant lequel se trouve l’Europe aujourd’hui, c’est celui d’une formidable accélération voulue par le Green Deal en raison de l’exigence écologique. D‘un côté, l’on prévoit un accroissement de trafic routier considérable dans les années qui viennent, avec dépendance énergétique accrue par rapport à l’étranger, et une offre technologique de simple transition, à tous les étages : production, distribution et utilisation. Rien n’est prêt à aucun niveau !
Et de l’autre, nous avons ces campagnes désertifiées, ces sites post-industriels à reconvertir et tout le logement à revoir selon de nouveaux critères énergétiques. Et ces populations rurales inquiètes…
C’est à juste titre que la Ministre slovène qui présidait le Conseil des Ministres de l’Agriculture et de la Ruralité avait invité le Conseil à s’emparer sans tarder du dossier de la Ruralité. Celle-ci représente plus de 85% de l’espace européen. Sa désertification est un problème majeur à traiter et, nous en sommes convaincus, un grand danger pour l’Europe.
Très modestement, la FICM est fière de compter parmi ses partenaires des associations d’agriculteurs qui accueillent les usagers de motorhomes, ainsi que des associations de villages de moins de 5000 habitants qui leur offrent espaces de stationnement et de services.
... voir en annexe: IMPACT du GREEN DEAL
Read full responseResponse to Development of Euro 7 emission standards for cars, vans, lorries and buses
3 Jun 2020
IFMC - Input On The EC Development of Euro 7 emission standards for cars, vans, lorries and buses 2020 Q1
The IFMC, as the 43 year old motor-home user clubs umbrella association (including UK), welcomes the intention of the European Commission to improve emission standards for cars, vans, lorries and buses and to challenge a real global leadership in this field.
A. Option 1, Option 2 or Option 3?
Taking Account
by the EU legislator of the Dieselgate lesson, with:
New type approval as from Sept 2020
More checks on cars already on road
Member States (really?) charged of a minimum of on road tests per year
Member States allowed to recall or full withdraw vehicles from the market
of the EU Green Deal of December 2019, with:
Zero pollution and toxic-free environment by 2050
50 to 55% reduction of EU’s greenhouse gas emissions for 2030 compared to 1990
being just and inclusive, leaving no one behind
of the independent EC report “Combined Evaluation Roadmap / Inception Impact Assessment”, with:
Current limits adopted over 10 years ago !
Evaluation intent of current Euro 6/VI vehicle emission standards, for both light and heavy vehicles, up to 2019.
New initiative: RDE for cars/vans and PEMS for lorries and busses
General objective: improve the current Euro 6/VI standards on air pollutant emissions
Specific objective to reduce pollutant emissions from road transport and harmonized rules for vehicles
Operational objectives:
reduce the complexity and compliance costs of existing Euro 6/VI vehicle standards
keep air pollutant emissions under control throughout the entire lifetime of the vehicle and in all conditions
of specific objectives of the European HORIZON 2030 program, dealing with among others:
Key Development Technologies (KDT)
Clean Energy Mobility, and a specific mention on the June 2019 ITRE Report on the role of hydrogen for future
Safe and driverless mobility
and Intelligent Networks and Services,
the IFMC considers (as a general advice) to focus on the NEED TO SUCCEED in this ambitious 2050 challenge!
Please find our full text in attachment. Sorry for any duplicate.
Read full responseResponse to Report on the Application and Evaluation of the Postal Services Directive
3 Apr 2020
IFMC - International Federation of Motor-home Clubs
IFMC - Input On The EC Evaluation Roadmap On Postal Services
The IFMC, as a motor-homes user clubs umbrella association, welcomes the intention of the European Commission to reevaluate once more the Postal Services Directive. Motor-home adepts count around 2 million vehicles in Europe.
Our clubs still use postal services to manage and to organize their various activities with chains of local and remote partners, regular periodic magazines and administrative contacts with their members. Their members also rely frequently on parcel delivery, being at home or underway somewhere in Europe or Overseas, sometimes in critical situations.
Therefore, we ask the European Commission to consider this contribution as consumer’s and end-user’s viewpoint.
We shall try to address more general interest.
By nature, our members are travelers who visit Europe all the year long for nature, culture and human discoveries.
Hot spots are not favored, but nice cities and country people welcome most of us, eventually in their farms for a few days. We visit thousands of shops and we listen to locals. We are modern Europeans, from borderless Europe. They look at Europe from the bottom line, and they often blame Europe on various grounds.
Being for our clubs or for our individual members, timely and predictable delivery conditions are of utmost importance, wherever they are. Letters and items must reach their destination with care and professionalism.
As IBPT recalls, the 2019 ERGP Report n°49 recognize that, “in order to reduce the cost of universal service provision, Member States or NRAs in some cases allow for modifications in the quality and scope or content of the universal service, e.g. by eliminating priority mail or reducing the prescribed number of delivery days or number of postal outlets” and collect points should we add. Such a policy is of course essentially Malthusian, as it only discourages more people from looking for a collect box whenever possible and from posting items, thus reducing the total volume of ordinary mail and small parcel business.
For the full text of our contribution, please find the document in attachment.
Read full response