CLEPA President Roberto Vavassori, speaking at the Association’s General Assembly last week, stressed that CLEPA will continue to make the case for technology neutrality, reaching out to policy makers, other sectors and societal stakeholders alike to build alliances for a holistic approach to decarbonise transport worldwide.

“CLEPA favours any and every technology that brings more sustainability to Europe, its citizens, its employees and its companies”, said Vavassori. There is the clear need to adopt an holistic approach to the decarbonisation of mobility. Europe’s automotive suppliers are part of the solution: we are at the same time concerned citizens wanting the best environment, critical consumers looking for the most convenient way to move around, as well as highly engaged employees in the mobility value chain”

“As it has been for the last century, we need to assure that the technologies for the mobility of the future continue to come from Europe. There is the need to define what I call the ‘European Way’, where a competitive regulation is an important part of the ecosystem, and the geopolitical context is taken into account. Smart policy avoids dependency on one technology, follows the circular economy principle and directs investments in a sustainable way.”

The CLEPA Annual General Assembly, taking place in The Hague, confirmed the activities and work plan of the association, and reaffirmed its leadership team with the election of two new vice-presidents as well as a number of Board of Director mandates. CLEPA members also reinforced the association’s operational structure, updating its governance rules and setting framework conditions to deliver on the organisation’s mission and vision.

The CLEPA focus in 2018 and 2019 will continue to be on the main regulatory dossiers currently going through the EU institution’s. These include the CO₂ emission reduction proposals for both passenger cars and trucks, as well as the revision of the General Safety Regulation, which is essential to maintain the EU road safety record and prepare the way for automated driving. In addition, matters related to access to data, research & innovation, type approval, repair and maintenance, materials and substances, international trade developments and many other market access requirements are closely monitored by the association. Several of these topics will move over to the new Parliament and Commission terms, after the European elections in May of next year.

Since June 2017, CLEPA has added seven new members, reaching a total of 119 corporate members, 13 national associations and 11 associated members.

The next General Assembly meeting will be organised in Brussels in June 2019.

Note to the editor:

CLEPA represents over 3.000 companies supplying state-of-the-art components and innovative technology for safe, smart and sustainable mobility, investing over 20 billion euros yearly in research and development. Automotive suppliers in Europe employ nearly five million people across the continent.

For more information, please contact: CLEPA- Pilar Perez (p.perez@clepa.be)