On 4 June, the FIA held its annual Summer Cocktail with policy-makers, Automobile Clubs throughout Europe and stakeholders in the mobility community of Brussels. Speakers at the event included European Commission Vice President, Siim Kallas, FIA President, Jean Todt and FIA Region I President, Thierry Willemarck. Following the EU elections and as the EU Institutions are considering their new mandate, FIA Region I calls on policy-makers to prioritise mobility.

European Commission Vice President Siim Kallas said: “Road safety has been one of my top priorities over the last 5 years. It has now become one of the EU’s success stories. Last year, around 26,000 people died on European roads. While that is still far too many, it’s also much fewer than ten years ago. The target of halving road deaths by 2020 is still realistic, thanks to the hard work done on the ground by Member States and organisations such as FIA.”

Jean Todt, FIA President, said: “Road safety is a first priority for the FIA and we are ready to work with all stakeholders to tackle this problem.” He continued, “We know that European motorists are most likely to be involved in an accident in the first six months upon receiving their permit. That is why the EU should look at ways to improve driver training for novice drivers in particular. But we must ensure that such training goes hand-in-hand with the provision of life-long learning opportunities for all drivers.“

“EU policy-makers must keep road users in mind and prioritise their needs, be it with consumer protection for connected vehicles, or with measures for the prevention of mileage fraud, or to promote more effective public transport,” said FIA Region I President, Thierry Willemarck. He continued, “Better mobility benefits all Europeans. By prioritising concerns in the transport sector there is the potential to stimulate the European economy and promote growth.”

Specifically, the FIA Region I Prioritise Mobility campaign urges policy-makers to:

• Ensure smooth development of future car connectivity, while fully respecting motorists’ freedom of choice and safeguarding conditions for effective competition in the aftermarket
• Create the right conditions for the deployment of cleaner vehicle technologies and fostering user awareness via dedicated European projects
• Offer life-long learning opportunities for all road users, with specific focus on vulnerable groups
• Raise the awareness of end users about road safety
• Keep motoring affordable via stricter controls for odometer tampering and prevention of mileage fraud
• Invest European funds and earmark taxation revenue to properly maintain the road infrastructure to safeguard Europe’s growth and high levels of road safety

The evening also celebrated the tenth anniversary of FIA Region I. Watch the video of the event: