Head of DG Competition invites FIA to discuss consumer concerns

Publication date: 07 July 2011

The Head of DG Competition in the European Commission, Ms Maria Rehbinder, met today with the Director General as well as the Policy Manager of the FIA Brussels Office, Mr Jacob Bangsgaard and Ms Laurianne Krid, to discuss consumer issues in the context of the European Commission’s current framework for competition, in particular with regard to the vehicle aftermarket. The FIA Brussels Office represents 36 million motoring consumers across 100 automobile clubs in Europe, as well as Africa and the Middle East.

Of particular concern to the FIA was the European Commission’s ‘Explanatory Brochure’ which is to be published on vertical agreements and concerted practices in the motor vehicle sector (Regulation 461/2010) and the possibility for warrantees and bCall issues to be addressed as part of the document.  The FIA underlined the need for the brochure to be written in plain language that would tackle all the strategies which manufacturers use to tie consumers to their authorised network (extended legal warrantees, mobility warrantees, leasing agreements, etc).

Ms Rehbinder underlined the Commission’s point of view that the brochure was still under preparation and would not be released before the summer. She said the Commission understood the concerns raised by the FIA on behalf of consumers and promised to take these points into consideration in the drafting of the measure.

At EU level, the FIA’s primary goal is to secure a mobility that is safe, affordable, sustainable and efficient. With these aims in mind our work focuses on Road Safety, Consumer Protection, Environmental Protection, and the promotion of Sustainable Motoring.

 FIA letter to DG Competition.pdf