Austrian Chancellor Schüssel congratulates FIA to new office

Publication date: 25 January 2006

During the official inauguration of the new offices, Werner Kraus, FIA President for Europe, opened today the doors of the new FIA European Bureau to the great and the good of Brussels, the European Community and FIA clubs in the European Union. He welcomed the 100 guests including European parliamentarians, European Commission officials and top executives of organisations who regularly collaborate with the FIA.

 “We are all gathered here today in the new offices which also stand as symbol for a strong presence of the FIA on European level” said President Kraus. From these offices the FIA executives are charged with effectively ensuring that the interests of member clubs and their 43 million members are well represented in all relevant debates on-going in Brussels.

Mr Kraus read out greetings received from the Austrian Federal Chancellor Dr. Wolfgang Schüssel who is currently holding the EU Presidency. Wolfgang Schüssel recalled the long and successful cooperation with the motorists’ representatives and praised the constructive consumer protection work of the European clubs. He also welcomed very much the election of Werner Kraus as President of the FIA Eurocouncil looking forward to ‘pressing ahead together on a variety of issues such as road safety, which is a focal point of Austria’s Presidency in the EU’.

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Ari Vatanen, Member of the European Parliament and road safety rapporteur, has also sent his greetings to the FIA, stressing the importance of the role played by the FIA European Bureau. “I salute the consumer protection work they carry out. Through its lobby activities the FIA makes sure that the voice of the motorist is well heard in the Brussels arena, in particular the Commission and the Parliament. As a Member of the European Parliament I appreciate their expert knowledge in numerous subjects, for instance transport policy, consumer testing and in particular road safety, a subject on which I regularly consult them. The FIA enjoys the confidence of many European officials and has developed itself as an indispensable partner when it comes to protect the motorists’ rights.”

With its new offices the FIA European Bureau remains in the centre of Brussels European quarter “This is a must” says Johann Grill, Director General of FIA European Bureau “to be in walking distance to the institutions we are working with. We regularly invite European parliamentarians and Commission officials to our working group meetings and to debates and conferences that we organise. It is very easy for them to attend as they do not need to travel far.” With this in mind the offices were designed specially to accommodate not only permanent FIA Brussels-based staff but also to welcome visitors from EU clubs, European Institutions and other stakeholders attending regular international meetings organised by the Bureau. The new premises offer good meeting facilities for the working groups getting together on a regular basis, like the legal and consumer affairs working group, the technical working group and the transport and mobility working group as well as major projects such as eSafety, EuroTest and EuroTAP.

“With its new premises the FIA European Bureau will continue to successfully represent the motorists’ interest on the European level and be the focal point of a series of international activities of the European clubs.” Werner Kraus recalled that together with the FIA European Bureau another two organisations moved as well: EuroRAP and the Secretariat of the Forum for the Automobile and Society.

The new FIA European Bureau is located at rue d’Arlon 53, Brussels, opposite of the Concert Noble. Telephone numbers, web site and e-mail addresses remain unchanged.

Pictures:
- Werner Kraus, President FIA Region, and Johann Grill, Director General of the FIA European Bureau, welcoming the guests (from left to right). Click here.

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- Dimitrios Theologitis (on the left), DG TREN, European Commission, and Ari Vatanen MEP (on the right) congratulating to the new offices. Click here.

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