EU Council and Parliament strike a deal on the rules for vehicle circularity and the management of end-of-life vehicles. The Council presidency and the European Parliament’s representatives reached a provisional agreement on the regulation concerning circularity requirements for vehicle design and the management of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs). The new rules will replace the two existing directives and set requirements to ensure that new vehicles are designed in a way that supports their re-use, recycling and recovery. The new regulation is part of the European Green Deal and the circular economy action plan, aiming to transition the automotive sector to a more circular model. It introduces measures across the entire life cycle of vehicles, from design and production to their end-of-life treatment, with

A great victory for European motorcyclists: European transport ministers set the Council’s position on the roadworthiness package, which puts forward an update of EU standards with regards to periodic roadworthiness tests, technical roadside inspections and registration of vehicle data. Thomas Danielsen, Danish Minister for Transport said: “I am pleased that we have reached a positive outcome and that we now have a general approach on both proposals in the package. With this agreement we are securing a modernisation of the rules for roadside and periodic testing and registration of vehicle data while minimising administrative burden.” Denmark currently holds the EU presidency. The package consists of two proposals focusing on the update of three directives: one on the periodic roadworthiness testing for motor

Despite a number of crashes with motorcycles, Tesla wants to introduce Full Self-Driving (previously called 'autopilot') in Europe. Tesla has requested early access, pilot release programs or exemptions where possible. In a statement on X, Tesla now claims that the Dutch approval authority RDW will grant them an exemption for the feature. Current UN and EU regulations make Full Self-Driving illegal in its current form. A Tesla statement says: "Currently, RDW has committed to granting Netherlands National approval in February 2026. Upon NL National approval, other EU countries can immediately recognize the exemption and also allow rollout within their country." RDW's response however is a bit more realistic. From the RDW's statement: "On November 22, 2025, Tesla posted a message on X about

We are pleased to invite you to an open, online meeting with Mips, a global leader in helmet-based safety technology. This event is open to all motorcycle enthusiasts across Europe, and we encourage you to share the invitation with your members via your website and social media. Information about the meeting is posted on our website > www.femamotorcycling.eu Date & Time: 10 November at 19:00h CET (7pm) Open to: All motorcycle enthusiasts REGISTER HERE! Mips specializes in helmet-based safety and is a market leader in this field. Based on an ingredient brand business model, the Mips® safety system is sold to the global helmet industry. The technology is built on more than 25 years of research, testing, and development in collaboration with KTH Royal

A new study is sounding the alarm on the hidden threat all motorcyclists are aware of: the steel safety barriers lining thousands of kilometres of roads. Motorcyclists across Europe are familiar with the dangers of slippery curves and unexpected obstacles. Researchers confirm that these barriers, designed primarily to protect car occupants, are a serious risk to motorcyclists in a specific type of accident: upright crashes. When a rider hits a barrier in an upright position, their chest or abdomen often slams directly into the sharp upper edge of the guardrail. The research paper calls for better guardrails to protect motorcyclists in these upright crashes. While ‘motorcycle-friendly’ barriers already exist to reduce injuries from sliding crashes, where riders slide into the barrier after

The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) published its 19th PIN annual report, analyzing the 20,017 deaths on EU roads in 2024. In this report, the ETSC again calls for periodic technical inspections for all motorcycles and mopeds without offering any proof of safety gains. The ETSC recommends to extend testing to cover all motorcycles, including mopeds, without exemptions: as a minimum, first inspection after four years, subsequent inspections every two years, then every year after that. But more on that later, let's look at the road safety numbers first. The EU has set a target to halve the number of road deaths by 2030, based on their level in 2019. Most European countries have similar national targets. The 19th PIN report paints

Council of the EU says mopeds and motorcycles should be included in the end-of-life vehicles regulation. The Council of the EU has adopted its position on the end-of-life vehicles (ELV) regulation, legislation that dictates how vehicles are recycled, reused, and disposed of when they reach the end of their life. The Council of the EU represents the member states' governments. It is where national ministers and experts from each EU country meet to (amongst other tasks) negotiate and adopt EU laws. The Council’s position increases the level of ambition of the regulation, including in its scope heavy-duty trucks and two- or three-wheel bikes and quadricycles. The Council wants the scope of the Regulation to be expanded to include: vehicles of categories L1e to

To increase recycling targets, the European Commission wants to expand the scope of the End-of-Life Vehicles directive to include motorcycles. The European Union is in the process of revising its End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) Directive, legislation that dictates how vehicles are recycled, reused, and disposed of when they reach the end of their life. The proposed changes for a new regulation are part of a broader push towards a circular economy. But there's a catch for us motorcyclists: for the first time, motorcycles may be included under these strict regulations. This move has triggered alarm bells across the riding community, and for good reason. The European Commission wants to expand the scope of the End-of-Life Vehicles directive to include motorcycles (L-category vehicles), as

A provisional deal on EU driving licence rules introducing a mobile licence and driving disqualification for reckless drivers was approved in the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN). A revamped EU driving licence rules, agreed by Council and Parliament negotiators, led by EP rapporteur Jutta Paulus (Greens, DE), in March 2025, seek to contribute to road safety and EU’s digital transition. Digital driving licence Under the provisional agreement a digital driving licence, available on a smartphone with EU-wide digital wallet technology, will become the main format in the EU. However, MEPs managed to ensure that drivers will continue to have the right to request a physical driver’s licence. Novice drivers and health checks EU rules will set a probationary period of at least

The European association of motorcycle manufacturers ACEM welcomes the new anti-tampering provisions for the non-original replacement exhaust silencing systems for motorcycles. When an aftermarket silencer is fitted the sound may not exceed that of the bike with the original silencer. There are many silencers on the market that can be adjusted, for instance by a valve that can be opened or closed. Within the bandwidth and in the gears that are used with the type approval test, the valve is closed and the silencer does not exceed the sound limits. However, these silencers are programmed to have the valve opened outside this bandwidth and in other gears and then make much more sound. ACEM acknowledges the concerns of citizens, policymakers and regulators

Initially it looked like the EU tariffs would only concern motorcycles under the 500cc limit, but the reality is a lot worse. As reported earlier, the European Commission is responding to the United States' decision to impose tariffs by implementing countermeasures designed to match the economic impact of those tariffs. After the U.S. decided to impose a 25% tariff on up to €26 billion worth of European Union (EU) steel, aluminium, and related products, the EU plans to reinstate tariffs that were previously introduced in 2018 and 2020 on certain U.S. imports, effective from 1 April 2025. Additionally, the EU is planning to introduce further measures by mid-April to maintain 'economic balance'. One specific countermeasure confirmed by the European Commission is the

In response to the imposition of new US tariffs on EU steel and aluminium imports, the European Commission has launched countermeasures on US imports into the EU. In response to new US tariffs affecting more than €18 billion of EU exports, the Commission is putting forward a package of new countermeasures on US exports. They will come into force by mid-April, following consultation of Member States and stakeholders. In total, the EU countermeasures could therefore apply to US goods exports worth up to €26 billion, matching the economic scope of the US tariffs. On the list of products which could be subject to possible measures are: Motorcycles, incl. mopeds, with reciprocating internal combustion piston engine of a cylinder capacity <= 50 cm³