Table 36: Import in the EU and Export from the EU of motorcycle parts, 1999 – 2008

3.4. The impact of the new measures on international trade

The EU imported €2.8 billion worth of motor-cycles from outside the EU in 2008, with the main import countries being Japan €1.7 billion and China € 0.5 billion. Chinese imports have grown from € 11 million to € 0.5 billion since 1999. Imports from Thailand have also increased significantly from € 606.000 to € 109 million in the same time period. The EU exported € 1.06 billion, the main markets being the United States and Switzerland. The trend for international trade is to see increased imports from China and other Asian countries into the EU. Given the patterns that have emerged from the analysis of the type-approvals over recent years, the indication is that this will continue.

The safety aspects of the new regulation will be crucial to prevent unsafe vehicles being placed on the European market and to protect the consumer from purchasing unsafe products. In conjunction with this, it is necessary to put in place increased market surveillance to prevent such vehicles being placed on the EU markets. The labelling of vehicles with information regarding carbon dioxide emissions will assist the consumer to choose the most energy efficient vehicles irrespective of country of origin of the vehicle and ensure a level-playing field for all manufacturers. The price of motorcycles in the EU may increase if the cost of the improved safety features and meeting lower pollutant emission targets and other necessary environmental measures is passed on to customers.

3.5. Production of PTWs

The activity of the manufacture of motorcycles is grouped under NACE code 35.41 by EuroStat. According to the 2009 EuroStat Facts and Figure, the EU-27’s motorcycles and cycles manufacturing subsector consisted of 2 300 enterprises which created € 2.4 billion of value added in 2006. The sector employed 55 900 persons. Italy was the largest producer of motorcycles and cycles in the EU-27, with a 40 % share of EU-27 value added and a 35% share of the workforce. Italy and Lithuania were the most specialised producers of motorcycles and cycles within the EU-27 in terms of the sector’s contribution to non-financial business economy value added. In 2007 motorcycles and cycles manufacturing output in the EU-27 grew by 2.2%, following 1.8% growth in 2006.