FIM Europe Magazine #02|2024 special supplement by FIM Europe

DAY1

FIRST DAY OF ACTIVITIES IN FIUMICINO FOR THE FIM EUROPE FAMILY WITH THE SPORTING AND BEYOND SPORTING COUNCILS

The 28th edition of the FIM Europe Congress officially kicked off on 4th July in Fiumicino, Italy, with the first meetings of a weekend full of activities.

For the third time, Italy is hosting this esteemed gathering with the precious support of the FMI, the Italian Federation, that today welcomed representatives and members of the National Federations part of the FIM Europe.

As scheduled, the Sporting and Beyond Sporting Councils met to take stock of the current season and the upcoming events.

Mr Manuel Marinheiro, Chairman of the Sporting Council, had the occasion to discuss with his Chairmen, that tomorrow will reunite their commissions for the usual mid-season meetings. The reports of the activities of all disciplines were analysed in the presence of the FIM Europe President, Mr Michal Sikora.

The Chairman of the Beyond Sporting Council, Mr Roy N. Wetterstad, met the three Chairmen of the Beyond Sporting Commissions.

MICHAL SIKORA

FIM Europe President

“We started our first Sport and Beyond Sport meetings within fantastic conference facilities of Hilton Rome Airport Hotel. Everything is ready to start a weekend filled with Commissions’ meetings, the General Assembly and last but not least – an important event held for the first time - the FIM Europe Policy Conference”.

“Here we are in Fiumicino for the 28th FIM Europe Congress. On this first day I had the opportunity to meet the Chairmen of the Sporting Commissions. They presented their reports and together we analysed the current season, which is running smoothly. The International Continental Games have been presented to the Chairmen. I wish all the FIM Europe family a great Congress”.

MANUEL MARINHEIRO

Chairman of the Sporting Council

ROY N. WETTERSTAD

Chairman of the Beyond Sporting Council

“We have an exciting weekend ahead of us, starting with the Beyond Sporting Council Meeting. Our Commission’s Chairmen have intense discussions about environment, touring activities and organizational and political issues. We are looking forward to the Policy Conference we are launching tomorrow. Leading voices from the world of motorcycling, politicians and experts will discuss challenges for motorcycling, both in mobility and sport”.

DAY2

SECOND DAY OF WORK IN FIUMICINO. THE FIM EUROPE MANAGEMENT COUNCIL MET FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE MORNING, THE SPORTING AND BEYOND SPORTING COMMISSIONS HELD THE MID-SEASON SUMMIT, WHILE IN THE AFTERNOON TOOK PLACE THE FIM EUROPE POLICY CONFERENCE

The FIM Europe Congress keeps on with the second day of meetings.

After Thursday's Sporting and Beyond Sporting Councils’ meetings, on day 2 tthe Management Council met in the presence of FIM President Mr Jorge Viegas.

The FIM Europe Management Council

MICHAL SIKORA

FIM EUROPE PRESIDENT

“The second day of the FIM Europe Congress has just finished. Today we conducted a very interesting Policy Conference with examples from FMI, FFM and KNMV accompanied by honorable guests. In addition, all our Sport and Beyond Sporting Commissions met and summed up the actual season and talked about the future. Also, Management Council members met and approved all the reports for the General Assembly which will be held tomorrow”.

ROAD RACING COMMISSION

MARTIN HEJDUK

CHAIRMAN ROAD RACING COMMISSION

“The Commission discussed important points for the future. Championships and Cups are running well and the number of participants is growing up. The rules for the 2025 season should be discussed during our monthly meetings and finalized in the autumn meeting”.

JOB HEEZEN

CHAIRMAN DRAG RACING COMMISSION

“Good and productive day. It was a valuable meeting thanks to the attendance of the representative of our Dragrace Promotor Mr Micke Gulqvist from Sweden. This way we have been able to set out lines for the near future. This shows well the improved relationship between FIM Europe and our Promotor”.

ANDREA BARBIERI

CHAIRMAN MOTOCROSS & SNOWCROSS COMMISSION

“The Commission took stock of the season with the jury presidents. The first half of the 2024 season has been eventful. We already have a champion: Mille Andersson from Sweden claiming victory in the European SNX Championship. The EMX 65/85 European Championship began with races across four zones, leading to semi-finals in Romania and Lithuania.

A few weeks ago FIM Europe introduced a digital entry system for championships to streamline registration. Upcoming events include the EMX 2T in the Czech Republic and EMX Open in Belgium. The EMX Quads Championship, starting in April, will culminate in Italy, while the Sidecarcross and Quadcross European Nations will be held in the Czech Republic. The Women’s Championship will end in Lithuania. The Yamaha Blu-Cru Cup is scheduled for October in Great Britain, while Watercross will take place in Norway in mid-July. The Motocross of European Nations will close the season in Romania. Unfortunately, the Beachcross season faced setbacks, and plans were deferred to the next year. I would like to thank all members for their commitment to the discipline, mourn the loss of members Peter Hansen from Denmark and Uwe Petzold from Germany, both significant figures in the sport”.

RACING

IVO TSVETANOV

CHAIRMAN SUPERMOTO COMMISSION

“This mid-summer meeting is of great importance due to the possibility of having an overview of the season up to now and starting to prepare for the next 2025. The major topic was the development of the SM Junior class, with all the possibilities to attract more riders and make the discipline more affordable for new juniors from across Europe. Keeping the spirit of an entry-level Championship, increasing the visibility and popularity of the series is very important for the further development of the discipline and building a core of riders for the future”.

JOHN COLLINS

VICE-CHAIRMAN ENDURO & RALLY COMMISSION

“The first two rounds of the Enduro European Championship in Italy and San Morino had been a success with over 150 riders in each event. Next season the Super Enduro European Cup will be held over 4 rounds: Poland, Germany, Romania and Hungary. A new class for younger riders aged from 8 to 11 years old will be introduced in the 2025 Mini Enduro Cup. Entries in the Tout Terrain Rally Cup had been increasing”.

PIOTR SZYMANSKI

CHAIRMAN TRACK RACING COMMISSION

“The Commission had a full day. A new working group “TRC Women Working Group“ was created within the Track Racing Commission and the first action will be a “pre-season workshop” that will be held in Abensberg. The 2025 calendar was drafted (nearly all dates are covered) and will be finalised in November. The Grass Track Working Group will present a new format to support the visibility of this sport. Flat Track will be also included in the calendar and rules and dates will be released soon. I want to thank my member for their availability in monthly Zoom meetings: we will continue with the close work”.

MAGNUS LILJEBLAD

CHAIRMAN TRIAL COMMISSION

“Full agenda for the Commission. The point that made most discussions was about the international classes, because of the need to change in the middle of the season. One solution is to include them in the European Championship. Another alternative is to have the classes divided from the FIM Europe Championship. Discussion about will be postponed to the autumn's meeting. We also discussed the harmonization of the rules between FIM, FIM Europe and Federations. We are also working on the 2025 calendar”.

PASCALE RESCHKO JACQUOT

MOTOBALL COMMISSION

“The 2024 European Championship in Houlgate, France, from 20th to 24th August. Germany, France, the Netherlands and Lithuania confirmed their participation, while Ukraine is still uncertain as to whether they will attend. A referees' seminar will also be organised before to enable our referees to improve their skills. Future plans include the Netherlands applying for the 2025 Seniors and Juniors in Budel, and the Kuppenheim Club (Germany) for the EMCC”.

JOHN DAVIDSON VICE-CHAIRMAN VINTAGE COMMISSION

“Today the Commission discussed the current season and 2025 events. Changes to the rules have been discussed in order to improve some disciplines”.

E-BIKE COMMISSION

GIANLUCA AVENOSO

CHAIRMAN E-BIKE COMMISSION

“The E-Bike Commission, in its third year of activity, analysed the various activities present in Europe at national level and noted the increase in participants and interest among companies. With these premises, it began to plan a European E-Bike Enduro championship for the 2025 season to be held over three races”.

PUBLIC

AFFAIRS COMMISSION TOURING COMMISSION

DIMITRIS MARGARITIS

CHAIRMAN OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMISSION

“This year's meeting was shorter than previous ones due to the Mobility Conference held after the initial commission meeting. Discussions focused on activities from the last semester, an overview from FIPRA on the EU Parliament's recent election status, and FIM's contributions to public affairs actions at both the European and global levels. We set a goal to increase the participation of FMNs in public affairs topics by providing flexible options, such as remote meetings, to share their views with us”.

PANAGIOTIS KALAITZIS

CHAIRMAN TOURING COMMISSION

“The members of the Touring Commission went through the year’s projects. The first ATV Tour Assistants course took place in June and July in cooperation with the Snowmobile Guide Association of Finland. The T/As training is to be held in Istanbul, from 15th to 18th August, for the first time to expand to three days. So far, we seem to have an overwhelming reception, so much so that the Commission is initializing contact with the third Honda Safety Institute in Budapest, for the possibility of a wider geographic spread to accommodate even more participants. The members were also informed of the possibility of a new event that aims to combine the T/As skills with the promotion of regionally focused motorcycle touring, we hope we will have more news on this project shortly. I would like to thank all the Commission’s member for their time, effort and input, and the whole Commission thanks the FIM Europe Administration and Secretariat for their support”.

ENVIRONMENT COMMISSION

GRAZYNA MAKOWSKA

CHAIRMAN ENVIRONMENT COMMISSION

“We celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the project "Green Education Strategy". The Commission prepared the Manual for Environmental Stewards and the Manual for Organisers about the actions to be taken by organiser before motorcycling events. We decided that we intend to organise the webinar for environmental stewards in November this year. We see the necessity of a deeper and more detailed education addressed to all environmental stewards with national and international licenses".

JUDICIAL PANEL

PIOTR PIEKUTOWSKI

CHAIRMAN JUDICIAL PANEL

“We discussed the directions of the possible amendment of the regulations, as well as cases and questions brought before the Judicial Panel. The competition in motorcycling sports should be safe and fair play. The codes and regulations should make a fair play of all motorcycle sports with transparent competition for all competitors”.

TOMAS BROZ

VICE-CHAIRMAN MEDICAL PANEL

“During the meeting members discussed current problems regarding antidoping, as it is rapidly changing a still more and more relevant topic, which requires our attention. The limelight was on the changes in the prohibited list. Issues about mild head injury were also spoken about. The health of riders is our main priority. We are happy that discussion and prevention are making a difference out in the field”.

The 2024 FIM Europe Policy Conference took place in the afternoon, introduced by FIM Europe President Mr Michal Sikora and FIM President Mr Jorge Viegas. As a key feature of this year's Congress, the conference focused on the critical role that politics, laws, and regulations play in shaping motorcycle activities on our roads and within the sport. It addressed the motorcycle community's ability to navigate political challenges through a series of discussions centered on motorcycle policy and lobbying.

The first panel, moderated by Mr Roy N. Wetterstad, discussed the role of lobbying in both sports and non-sports motorcycle affairs. The panelists included Jesper Christensen (FIM CPM Director), Damiano Zamana (FIM Deputy CEO), Chris Hodder (FIM Public Affairs Manager) and Odd Terje Dovik (FEMA President).

ROY N. WETTERSTAD

“The Policy Conference was a very positive experience. The panelists gave us important information, shared experiences and explained how we can strengthen our policy work. I hope the conference will inspire the FMNs to develop their advocacy and political role”.

The second panel, moderated by Mr Dimitris Margaritis, highlighted the importance of motorcycle policy work in Europe. Contributions came from Mr. Sébastian Poirer (FFM President), Mr Wim Mulder (KNMV Director), Mr Giovanni Copioli (FMI President), Mrs Elena Murelli (Member of the Italian Parliament), and Mr Federico Vitale (Confindustria ANCMA). Additionally, Mr Florian Martin from Mandelli presented a new airbag technology with a live demonstration.

DIMITRIS MARGARITIS

"The conference was established to bring together motorcycling representatives, decisionmakers, and FMN members to discuss FIM and selected countries' best practices on lobbying and policy making. Our goal was to provide an opportunity not only to hear about successful achievements but also to share national challenges and propose future lobbying actions. I would like to thank all panelists, Roy, Francesca, Silvia and the FIM Europe Management Council for this successful event. Most importantly, I extend my gratitude to the over 110 FMN representatives who participated in the event".

THIRD DAY OF WORK. FIUMICINO SUCCESSFULLY DELIVERED THE 2024 FIM EUROPE ORDINARY GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

The 28th edition of the FIM Europe Congress has officially ended with the third and last day of meetings at the Hilton Rome Airport in Fiumicino.

In the morning, the FIM Europe Management Council met for the second time in view of the General Assembly, which took place in the afternoon in the presence of the representatives of 37 National Federations.

The Ordinary Assembly started at 2 pm with the official opening by FIM Europe President Mr Michal Sikora and the welcome of FMI President Mr Giovanni Copioli.

The 2024 Congress began with the approval of the minutes of the 2023 General Assembly in Zaragoza and the official report of the FIM Europe President. Then the stage went to Silvia Monatti (Head of Financial Department), who presented the report of the Treasurer Mr José Ramon Garcia, and to Mr Laurent Delbroek for the report of the Auditors.

After the presentation of the 2023 balance sheet and the 2024 budget approval, the Chairman of the Sporting Council Mr Manuel Marinheiro and Beyond Sporting Councils Mr Roy N. Wetterstad introduced their Chairmen and Chairwomen for their reports to the floor.

Therefore, long and loyal service awards were presented to the following National Federations:

• KNMV - Koninklijke Nederlandse Motorrijders

Vereniging - 120th Anniversary

• ACCR - The Autoclub of the Czech Republic -120th Anniversary

• Swiss Moto - 110th Anniversary

• DMU - Danmarks Motor Union - 110th Anniversary

• HMS - Hrvatski Motociklisticki Savez - 100th Anniversary

• LaMSF - Latvian Motorcyclist Federation100th Anniversary

• BMF - Bulgarian Motorcycle Federation100th Anniversary

• FMRM - Federatia de Motociclism din Republica Moldova - 25th Anniversary

MICHAL SIKORA

FIM Europe President

“We have just concluded the third and last day of the FIM Europe Congress in Fiumicino, Italy. It was a fruitful three days of work and discussions about motorcycling with sporting and beyond sporting matters. This morning the Management Council made the last decisions, while in the afternoon the General Assembly ran smoothly. We are just now looking forward to a fantastic FMI Gala Dinner, that will take place at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome".

The General Assembly ended with the presentation of the 2025 FIM Europe Congress, which is set to be held in Malta. Before the closing, the President of the Ukrainian Federation, Mr Vadym Kopylov, took the stage thanking all the Federations for their closeness in this tough moment.

From left: Laurent Delbroek (Chairman of Auditors), Nicoleta Melania Olariu, Stijn Rentmeesters, Roy N. Wetterstadt (2nd Deputy President), Michal Sikora (FIM Europe President), Alessandro Sambuco (General Secretary), Manuel Marinheiro (1st Deputy President), Juhani Halme, Jean Marc Desnues, Francesco Carmelo Mezzasalma.