Author Archives: Annick Roetynck

About Annick Roetynck

Annick is the Manager of LEVA-EU, with decades of experience in two-wheeled and light electric mobility.

• Cargobike manufacturer? Please participate in survey on cargobike container standardization

  18/10/2021 16:48 Comments Off on Cargobike manufacturer? Please participate in survey on cargobike container standardization

  The survey is here: Questionnaire for the standardization of a cago bike container – Google Forms

  In order for carrier cycle containers to be integrated into standard logistics processes in a similar way to swap trucks for bodies, the topic of containerization is becoming increasingly important. In the course of the current standardization process of carrier cycle containers, the working group Technology & Standardization of the German Cycle Logistics Association (RLVD) e.V. has drafted a questionnaire for the standardization of a carrier cycle container for multi-track, commercially used carrier cycles.

  LEVA-EU supports this initiative because the information is also highly relevant for the ongoing European standardization process. Last year, CEN TC 333 – Cycles has launched the new working group 9 on (e)carrier cycles. LEVA-EU has three experts who are actively contributing to this work. The replies to the questionnaire will be a welcome contribution to the work of WG9 as well.

  The result of the survey is intended to clarify whether different people from the carrier cycle sector are rather in favour of or against standardization of carrier cycle containers. If there is a tendency to favour standardization, we would also like to uncover the most accurate requirements for such standardization of carrier cycle containers. The survey will be analyzed within the RLVD as well as in a master’s thesis on the topic “Standardization and regulation needs for the commercial use of multi-track carrier cycle sectors for sustainable urban logistics”.

  The questionnaire includes 19 questions to be answered either as multiple-choice questions (with one or more choices), a short text, or using a scale from 0 to 9. The completion time of this survey is approximately 10 to 15 minutes. For the success of the survey, it is helpful if you fill out the questionnaire completely and answer all questions.

  Participation in the survey is possible until October 24, 2021. After evaluating the results, we will send them to interested parties who provide their e-mail address at the end of the survey.

  Sebastian Bächer & Magdalena Zech on behalf of RLVD

• LEVA-EU hosts Webinar Product Recalls: Sharing Practices & Insights

  15:12 Comments Off on LEVA-EU hosts Webinar Product Recalls: Sharing Practices & Insights

  The number of product recalls has been growing steadily over the past decade, with millions of non-food products recalled each year by manufacturers and suppliers on a voluntary or mandatory basis. The product categories affected are quite diverse, ranging from electric and electronic devices, toys and childcare equipment, to sports equipment, bicycles, household appliances and automobiles.

  The best thing about product recalls is not having one. Considering the rising popularity of Light Electric Vehicles (LEVs) as a means of transport and the complex regulatory landscape, product compliance and safety aspects should be high on the agenda of LEV producers, importers and distributors.

  That is why LEVA-EU hosts a webinar on some best practices and insights in the field of product recalls, that could help you mitigate the risk of having a recall or ease the burden in case you have a recall. Topics include:

  • How can you mitigate the risk of having a recall?
  • How to be prepared for a recall?
  • How to ease the burden of a recall?
  • How to manage a recall?

  When: 23 November 2021, 10:00-11:00 (CEST)

  Presenter: Rutger Oldenhuis LLM, founder of RecallDesk.

  Participants need to register in advance here: https://bit.ly/3BTYMNF

  LEVA-EU members participate for free, non-LEVA-EU members pay € 100. If you join LEVA-EU as a member within 3 months after the webinar, we will deduct that fee from your membership fee.

  Participants will receive the link for the webinar shortly before the event.

  About RecallDesk

  RecallDesk is specialized in product recalls. Either big or small, recalls are complex just the same and need to be managed properly. RecallDesk is unique in offering a combination of services that can be tailored to the needs of the client facing a (potential) recall. RecallDesk offers both legal, risk management and operational support. With our expertise and experience, we can lead or complete your recall team. This will add value to your team and save you time, stress and ultimately money.

  More information can be found under www.recalldesk.com.

  About Rutger Oldenhuis

  RecallDesk was founded by Rutger Oldenhuis, former head of Legal Affairs at Shimano Europe B.V. During his career, Rutger has been involved in many complex and international product recalls. Being passionate about product safety, Rutger decided to start his own venture offering a unique combination of recall services. Rutger Oldenhuis holds a Master’s degree in both Civil Law (Erasmus University Rotterdam) and International and European Tax Law (University of Amsterdam).

• Dutch LEV framework: e-(cargo) bicycles, e-scooters & self-balancing vehicles pay the price

  11/10/2021 21:32 Comments Off on Dutch LEV framework: e-(cargo) bicycles, e-scooters & self-balancing vehicles pay the price

  LEVA-EU has consulted with the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water about their planned LEV framework. A week earlier, LEVA-EU had argued extensively in a position that this proposal contravenes European law. The Ministry could not really convince LEVA-EU of the contrary. Worse still, the LEV framework appears to be a response to a report that completely misses the point.

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  The proposal for the so-called Dutch LEV framework includes specific Dutch technical and usage requirements for e-scooters, self-balancing vehicles with handlebars and e-(cargo) cycles. LEVA-EU contests the additional technical requirements, which have nothing to do with road use. These requirements are in addition to the technical requirements that legally result from the European Machinery, EMC and RoHS Directives. The result will be that manufacturers will have to make specifically Dutch vehicles. LEVA-EU argues that this goes against the Machinery Directive, Directive 2015/1535 and against the principles of the single market and the free movement of goods.

  The Dutch Ministry stated that the LEV framework is a direct consequence of the report of the Dutch Safety Board after the accident with the Stint in 2018. That accident prompted the Board to investigate “the way in which light motorized vehicles, including the Stint, come on the road”.

  It already went completely wrong when the research objective and the research questions were formulated: “The statutory task of the Dutch Safety Board is to find out the (underlying) causes of an accident, so that measures can be taken to prevent these causes from recurring and causing another accident.” Neither the Board nor anyone else has been able to determine the cause of the Stint accident. On 10 July 2020, 8 months after the publication of the Report, the Public Prosecution Service announced that the investigation had been completed and no definitive cause of the accident could be determined.

  Nevertheless, the Board based its investigation on the premise that the Stint was technically unsafe and that this unsafety caused the accident. On the other hand, in the report the Board has not provided a well-founded answer to the two research questions that they themselves formulated: “What role does safety play in the admission of light motorized vehicles that do not fall under the European approval procedure?” and “To what extent does that guarantee the safety of these vehicles on public roads?”

  In its investigation, the Board overlooked the fact that the safety of light motorized vehicles, which are not covered by Regulation 168/2013, is guaranteed by the Machinery, EMC and RoHS Directives, which list extensive safety requirements. These have been translated into EN 15194 and EN 17128 and are currently also being converted into European standards for electric cargocycles. Consequently, the second research question has been answered completely incorrectly. The Board has assessed the assurance of the safety of the vehicles on the basis of the additional Dutch procedure. The actual safety requirements that apply in all European member states have been left aside in the assessment. And so it happened that in their recommendations the Board clearly demonstrated their lack of knowledge of relevant European legislation. The first recommendation is: “Perform an integral risk assessment on the different types of light motor vehicles.” Let that risk assessment be one of the central requirements of the Machinery Directive.

  In the report, the Board systematically ignores European legislation. On page 21 they write: “A vehicle is illegal on the road if it has not been allowed on the road through an approval procedure and does not fall into a category exempt from approval.” All light motorized vehicles that the Board is targeting are exempt from approval: e-(cargo)cycles according to Article 2.2.h in Regulation 168/2013, e-scooters and electric skateboards according to Article 2.2.j, self-balancing vehicles with or without steering wheel according to Article 2.2.i. Article 6.1 of the Machinery Directive states: “Member States shall not prohibit, restrict or impede the placing on the market and/or putting into service in their territory of machinery which complies with this Directive.” We believe that the Dutch approval procedure is in breach of this article.

  The Board came to the devastating conclusion that the Dutch government had been far too lax in approving and admitting vehicles such as the Stint. That conclusion was not based on the finding of objective and structural safety deficiencies in the vehicle concerned. The Board also failed to reveal a causal link between the accident and their conclusions. What’s worse, the Board also identified safety problems in, among other things, mobility scooters and e-(cargo)cycles, without devoting a single word to the nature of those problems and the source of information on which those conclusions were based.

  The only safety-related fact the Council stated was that, of the 678 road fatalities in 2018, more than 140 people were users or occupants of a light motorized vehicle. The source for that figure in the report was the Dutch Bureau for Statistics (CBS). We searched for that number but couldn’t find it. The CBS statistics only mention motorized vehicles for the disabled, (low performance) mopeds and motorcycles as light categories. The number of road deaths in 2018 for those 3 means of transport came to a total of 137. The Board also says: “Because illegal vehicles are used on public roads and are therefore part of traffic, this has an effect on road safety. Because the use of these vehicles is illegal, no statistics are kept about these vehicles, so there is no insight into the numbers of vehicles and accidents that happen to this group.” It seems unlikely that vehicles will be kept out of accident statistics because they are allegedly illegal. In the moped category, a fatality with a tampered moped will not be excluded from the statistics. The CBS statistics include a category “other” which may well include, among other things, road deaths involving “illegal vehicles”. The total in 2018 was 13. The question of what effect these so-called illegal vehicles have on road safety remains unanswered.

  There is therefore no clarity at all about the number of road deaths with e-(cargo)cycles, e-scooters, self-balancing vehicles and other so-called “special mopeds“. There is also no evidence of any structural safety deficiencies in those vehicles, let alone vehicles that have caused road deaths due to technical defects. And yet the Board finds the situation so alarming that action is needed.

  Two years later, the ministerial response to the report is ready, but it is highly doubtful whether it will have any impact on the number of light electric vehicle fatalities. After all, when referring to those 140 deaths, no explanation was given as to how those people died. This way you can give the impression that they are all due to unsafe vehicles and that if you apply an LEV framework to make them safer, there will soon be no more LEV fatalities. There is indeed a good chance that there will be fewer fatalities, not thanks to safer vehicles, but due to a decrease in the number of vehicles.

  Instead of recognizing European regulations and using them as a technical basis for admission to traffic and for enforcement, the Netherlands believes it would be wiser to develop its own specific rules. The Ministry states that the European Commission has been contacted in advance about this. They indicated that, despite the Machinery Directive, there was room for national rules. Only, in our view, the Dutch Ministry has misinterpreted that space. Member States are indeed allowed to apply national requirements to matters related to the use of the vehicle, such as lighting, for example. Member States may not just add purely technical requirements to those of the Machinery Directive. The Ministry also stated that their rules are “inspired by EN 15194”. That is the standard for two-wheeled, electric bicycles with pedal assistance up to 25 km/h and 250W, not exactly the right basis for the vehicles that the Ministry is targeting. Cycles with more wheels, for example, have been deliberately excluded from that standard because they require their own adapted standards. That work is currently underway in CEN … under the care of a Dutch secretariat.

  The Ministry stated: “As long as there are no European rules, we must fill that gap nationally. We cannot escape the report of the Dutch Safety Board. In the meantime, the Netherlands is willing to contribute to a European framework.” However, the Dutch representation has never raised this alleged lacuna in the Motorcycle Working Group, where the European Commission discusses, among other things, deficiencies in Regulation 168/2013 with the Member States and stakeholders.

  In December, the Minister will debate on the LEV framework with the Dutch House of Representatives. If approved, this framework is expected to enter into force in January 2023. In the meantime, LEVA-EU, in collaboration with its members, will do everything it can to change the mind of the Dutch Representatives. In addition, LEVA-EU will raise the suspected illegality of that framework with the European Commission. Final quote from the report: by investigating the causes of an accident, “the Dutch Safety Board contributes to increased safety.” Whether this research will contribute much to safety is highly questionable.

  Road Fatalities in NL	2017	2018	2019	2020
  Cars, vans and trucks	226	259	265	218
  (e-)Bicycles	206	228	203	229
  Motorized wheelchairs	25	44	42	34
  (Low performance) mopeds	41	38	45	36
  Motorcycles	51	42	52	44
  Pedestrians	58	54	49	41
  Other	6	13	8	8
  Total	613	678	664	610

  Source: CBS

• LEVA-EU partners with World of eMobility

  04/10/2021 12:00 Comments Off on LEVA-EU partners with World of eMobility

  The first edition of World of eMobility will take place from Thursday 18 till Saturday 20 November in Expol Haarlemmermeer in the greater Amsterdam area.

  World of eMobility is a new B2B and B2C event for the entire electric mobility world. World of eMobility is a show combined with lectures, seminars and infotainment. LEVA-EU will be present at World of eMobility with an information stand. Although the event is for both professionals and consumers, the two target groups will be kept separate.

  More details: World of eMobility – The ultimate stage

  Photo by Product School on Unsplash

• LEVA-EU requests Dutch government to withdraw national LEV-requirements

  24/09/2021 16:18 Comments Off on LEVA-EU requests Dutch government to withdraw national LEV-requirements

  The (outgoing) Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management has submitted a proposal to the Dutch House of Representatives to introduce specific Dutch requirements for a number of Light Electric Vehicles (LEV). LEVA-EU has studied the proposal and concludes it is in breach with EU legislation.

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  The proposal concerns electric cargo cycles, electric scooters and self-balancing vehicles with steering wheels, while self-balancing vehicles without steering wheels such as monowheels or electric skateboards would still be prohibited on public roads.

  In the proposal, the vehicles are split into 4 categories: e-(cargo)cycle <55 kg, all other LEVs < 55 kg, LEVs for cargo transport > 55 kg and LEVs for passenger transport > 55 kg. For each category, the proposal includes requirements for approval and surveillance, for road admission and for road use.

  For category 1a, nothing changes except the limitation of the maximum width for a cargo cycle to 1 metre. The vehicles in this category are allowed on the road without additional approvals.

  For categories 1b, 2a and 2b, an approval and surveillance procedure will be introduced, which will be fully assigned to RDW. RDW is allowed to make the rules, inspect the vehicles and then also supervise. This gives RDW a blank check as judge and party, a decision that does not seem to be consistent with a normal democratic process.

  RDW has now drafted technical requirements for 1b, 2a and 2b. These requirements will be presented to a group of stakeholders in a meeting on Thursday 30 September.

  In the meantime, LEVA-EU has developed a position on the heart of the matter. The trade association for businesses in the LEV-sector concludes from their analysis that the Dutch government’s proposal to subject certain vehicles, excluded from Regulation 168/2013, to national approval is in breach of European legislation.

  In the general explanation on the technical requirements that the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management will discuss with stakeholders next Thursday, it is stated that “These vehicles cannot be admitted to road traffic following other European regulations, which thus means that they are implicitly prohibited.”

  LEVA-EU is convinced that this conclusion is incorrect. Just as conventional e-bikes, electric cargo cycles, electric scooters and self-balancing vehicles are excluded from Regulation 168/2013 and are therefore subject to the Machinery-, EMC and RoHS-Directive. The Machinery Directive stipulates: “Member States shall not prohibit, restrict or impede the placing on the market and/or putting into service in their territory of machinery which complies with this Directive;”

  The Dutch government has accepted for conventional e-bikes to be admitted on the road without additional requirements. It is therefore illogic, inconsistent and illegal to subject e-cargocycles, e-scooters and self-balancing vehichles, which comply with the Machinery-, EMC- and RoHS-Directive to additional national technical requirements. What’s more, there are no structural safety problems with these vehicles which would warrant additional measures and they are widely used in cities looking to substitute polluting freight and passenger transport.

  In addition to the above-mentioned legal objections to the Dutch LEV framework, LEVA-EU is also particularly concerned about the proposed categorization and the proposals regarding dimensions and weight. “These proposals significantly complicate the lives of electric cargo cycle manufacturers, while they are not based on sound safety considerations”, LEVA-EU Manager Annick Roetynck explains. “Certain LEV dimensions have been determined on the basis of the finding “that an insufficient width of the cycle path leads to an increased risk.” This is the world upside down: manufacturers all over the world will be obliged to make a purely Dutch electric cargo cycle in function of the width of the Dutch cycle path.”

  According to LEVA-EU, this goes directly against all principles of European legislation, the single market and the free movement of goods. If every Member State were to introduce similar measures, manufacturers would again be obliged to build 27 different types to be able to be marketed throughout the EU.

  In addition, if the Netherlands were to implement these very specific requirements effectively, this would undoubtedly have a negative impact on the supply of these LEVs in the Netherlands. Manufacturers will rather choose markets where they can use European harmonized vehicles. A shrinking supply will in turn jeopardize the sustainability of mobility in the Netherlands with all the negative consequences in terms of emissions, the fight against climate change, road safety, public health, etc. That would be a particularly bad thing for the Netherlands and for its citizens.

  LEVA-EU also requests clarification from the Dutch government on how these regulations have an objective in the Dutch public interest of which they constitute the main guarantee for the general Dutch interest. These are the legal European conditions defined in Directive (EU) 2015/1535 for issuing national technical regulations. The Netherlands should also notify the European Commission and the member states of this national initiative. To date however, there is no trace of such notification in the European TRIS Database.

  For all the above reasons, LEVA-EU is requesting the Dutch government to waive the LEV Approval Framework and to no longer deny or obstruct access to public roads for all LEVs that meet the requirements of the Machine, EMC and RoHS Directives by means of impeding national technical requirements. This request also concerns self-balancing vechicles without a steering wheel.

  In expectation of the response from the Dutch ministry, LEVA-EU will also inform the European Commission of this request.

  The full position paper in English is here: https://bit.ly/3zP8sat. The Dutch version is here: https://bit.ly/3AFbTl8

  Please contact LEVA-EU Manager for any further details: +32 475 500 588 – annick@leva-eu.com

• Climate Change PIX winners selected

  20/09/2021 15:04 Comments Off on Climate Change PIX winners selected

  Winning captures of the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) ‘Climate Change PIX’ photo competition show how climate change is already affecting Europe but also how well-known solutions can make a difference.

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  Winner – Societal solutions for climate change

  

  ‘Sustainable city’, by Antonio Farto, reminds of the importance of making cities more sustainable with green areas and possibilities for cycling and walking.

  Photo © Antonio Farto, Climate Change PIX /EEA.

  Winner – Individual action on climate change

  

  ‘Break the rules – go green’, by Fernando Fortes, encourages cycling as a concrete, individual action that both cuts emissions and improves health.

  Photo © Fernando Fortes, Climate Change PIX /EEA.

  See all winning pictures here.

• LEVA-EU orders research into potential of light electric vehicles to fight climate change

  14:24 Comments Off on LEVA-EU orders research into potential of light electric vehicles to fight climate change

  In the framework of COP26, trade association LEVA-EU has commissioned research from the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) to examine the potential of light electric vehicles in the fight against climate change.

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  LEVA-EU, headquartered in Belgium, says mass uptake of Light Electric Vehicles (LEVs) such as e-scooters, electric (cargo)cycles, e-mopeds, e-motorcycles and small three- and four-wheeled e-vehicles is crucial to reducing transport emissions, as they are much more efficient than larger electric vehicles, due to their favourable vehicle weight to payload ratio.

  However, many decision-makers mistakenly believe that replacement of the current fleet of internal combustion engine vehicles by similarly sized electric cars will be sufficient to achieve overall transport emission reductions as required by the Paris Agreement on climate change. LEVA-EU believes this is a flawed policy since transport demand continues to grow and sustaining the current fleet of passenger cars, even if electric, will place an unbearable burden on the world’s resources.

  “As with electrically powered passenger cars, LEVs allow for emissions from a combustion process, as seen in petrol- and diesel-powered vehicles, to be eliminated,” LEVA-EU manager Annick Roetynck said. “In contrast to the large and heavy passenger cars, however, the batteries and vehicles themselves are considerably smaller and lighter, so that the consumption of critical raw materials is also reduced, thus considerably lowering production-related greenhouse gas emissions.”

  There is widespread agreement to reduce CO2 emissions from transport by a minimum of 50% at the latest by 2050, according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.

  Whereas the emissions case for the mass adoption of electric passenger vehicles has been evaluated in many studies, the emission reduction potential via the adoption of LEVs has hardly been examined. In the framework of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow this November, LEVA-EU has now commissioned such research from DLR  in alliance with the International Cargo Bike Festival, Zedify and micromobility consultancy Mved. The DLR-project was initiated last August. LEVA-EU intends to use the research results to raise awareness among decision-makers and the public of the potential LEVs have to offer in the fight against climate change.

  The research will use Germany as an example, where Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from transport currently represent around 20% of total national GHG emissions. The research will model GHG emission reduction potential, based on a scenario in which LEVs replace passenger vehicle trips wherever feasible. The research team will thus determine the theoretical potential of LEVs for a scenario in 2030 when the Paris Agreement emissions commitments for the sector are to be met. LEVA-EU, the International Cargo Bike Festival, Zedify and Mved believe meeting the Paris Agreement will require dramatic increases in the numbers and use of LEVs.

  “Evaluation of passenger car use in Germany shows that 60% of vehicle mileage results from trips under 50km and 75% from trips under 100km,” Annick Roetynck explained. “This means that around 46% of GHG emissions from the transport sector are caused by trips under 100km, which could partly be driven with LEVs instead of passenger cars – a considerable basic potential for emission reduction.

  “Not all trips with passenger cars may be replaced with LEVs, nor will they reduce emissions per vehicle kilometer to zero. The study will therefore estimate a theoretical emission reduction potential considering vehicle performance parameters for passenger car trip substitution as well as production- and operation-related emissions,” Annick Roetynck concludes.

  For further details, please contact Annick Roetynck, tel. +32 9 233 60 05, email annick@leva-eu.com

• Flemish Radio Interviews LEVA-EU Manager on E-Scooters with Saddle

  09:34 Comments Off on Flemish Radio Interviews LEVA-EU Manager on E-Scooters with Saddle

  The start of the European Mobility Week on 16 September is a unique opportunity to get acquainted with other more sustainable means of transport than the car. In that framework, the Flemish Radio 2 program “De Inspecteur” (The Inspector) interviewed LEVA-EU Manager, Annick Roetynck and Stef Willems (VIAS) about electric scooters with a saddle.

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  “It’s complicated,” says Stef Willems of VIAS. “But the bottom line is that an e-scooter with a saddle is considered a moped in our country according to European and Belgian legislation. So, the only way to legally go on the road is with a number plate and helmet. You can in no way consider that vehicle as a regular e-scooter according to the law.”

  The police can fine you if you drive around with such a scooter without a number plate, or even confiscate your scooter, Willems warns. “The problem is that the people who buy e-scooters with saddles assume these are regular e-scooters, which allow them to go anywhere with them on the road. I have noticed that the sellers often do not clearly indicate that they are actually buying a moped.”

  Illegal e-scooters for sale

  We have seen that non-type-approved e-scooters are for sale on bol.com, says Willems. “Because they are not type-approved, you are under no circumstances allowed on public roads in Belgium. There is no certificate of conformity, so you can’t apply for a number plate. You can only drive around with it in your garden for instance. But the sellers don’t mention that.”

  There are also saddles for sale which you can mount on your e-scooter yourself, but that is not allowed either. “If you mount that saddle on your scooter, you are also not allowed on public roads, because here too you are in breach of European regulations.”

  Bol.com takes illegal steps offline

  At bol.com, they did not know that e-scooters with saddle are illegal, despite the fact that LEVA-EU had sent them a reasoned warning more than a year ago. The enquiry by the Flemish radio programme  “De Inspecteur”, convinces them to take immediate action. Tamara Vlootman tells “De Inspecteur”: “Our quality team will investigate this. Until then, we have taken the articles offline as a precaution. We will now look further into how we are going to approach that, maybe we will add a clear warning label.”

  Sellers be warned

  “We inform the companies about the correct legislation. It is all very complex but we call for the law to be respected,” says Annick Roetynck, from LEVA-EU, the professional association for light electric vehicles in Europe.

  “Some sellers actually don’t know the law; others choose not to know the law. They sometimes have the customers sign a paper to acknowledge that the e-scooters they are buying are not allowed on public roads. If an accident were to happen, they will not be able to avoid their liability.”

  Outdated law

  Annick Roetynck does not agree with the law at all. “The laws were made long ago, when there were only cars, motorcycles and mopeds with fossil fuels, but not with new vehicles in mind. That’s why you get strange situations for no reason, because an e-scooter with a saddle is largely the same as an e-scooter without a saddle. There is no justification for submitting them to two completely different legal frameworks.”

  That is why she hopes that the legislation will be changed: “Personally, I have been working for more than 20 years for accurate legislation for LEVS such as e-scooters with or without saddle but also electric bicycles-without pedals for instance. They all have a role to play in making mobility more sustainable. They have great potential in decarbonizing mobility in the fight against climate change. There is some good news: the European Commission has recognized that the legislation needs to be improved and we hope it to be amended within 2 or 3 years.”

  The radio-interview with Annick Roetynck is here: https://radio2.be/luister/select/de-inspecteur/sommige-elektrische-steps-zijn-illegaal-als-je-er-een-ongeval-mee-hebt-is-de-verkoper-mee-verantwoordelijk

• Supply shortages in German industry worsening

  13/09/2021 10:52 Comments Off on Supply shortages in German industry worsening

  The shortage of supplies in German industry has worsened. In August, 69.2 % of industrial companies in Germany complained about bottlenecks and problems with product components and raw materials. Following a 63.8 % in July, a new high has been reached. This is the conclusion from a survey by the German Ifo Institute for economic research. “This is not without consequences for production in industry. The supply crisis poses a real threat to the economic recovery,” says the head of Ifo surveys, Klaus Wohlrabe. As a consequence, more and more companies want to raise prices.

  “The sharp rise in purchase prices for components continues to cause problems for the companies,” adds Wohlrabe. The shortage of semiconductors and chips for instance is particularly noticeable among car manufacturers and their suppliers (91.5% compared to 83.4 %) and among manufacturers of electrical equipment (constant at 84.4 %).

  As a result of this supply crisis, more and more companies want to raise prices. Ifo price expectations have risen to a new record. “The companies pass the increased purchase prices on to their customers,” says Wohlrabe. In the electrical and metal industries in particular, price increases are planned. But the chemical industry and mechanical engineering also want to make their services more expensive. The automotive industry, on the other hand, sees comparatively little leeway.