The Netherlands is pushing ahead with a national type-approval scheme for light electric vehicles — not driven by evidence of safety failures, but by political symbolism following an accident with an entirely different vehicle type. LEVA-EU is organising an open online meeting to explain what the Dutch LEV framework means for your business and to present a concrete plan to stop it. The meeting is open to all companies in the sector, whether or not they are LEVA-EU members.

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Background

Seven years after the Stint accident — whose cause was never established, and whose directors were cleared of intentional wrongdoing by a court in February 2026 — the Netherlands is still pressing ahead with its so-called LEV framework. The scheme would require electric scooters and (e)cargo bikes above 75 kg to obtain a national type-approval from the RDW.

The problem is fundamental: the Stint was a completely different vehicle type. The vehicles targeted by the LEV framework are already subject to comprehensive EU legislation — the Machinery Directive, EMC, RoHS, the Battery Regulation — and to European standards ampng which the EN 17860 -series developed under the coordination of NEN, the Dutch standardisation institute. No structural safety incidents have occurred, in the Netherlands or in any other EU member state where the same vehicles circulate without a comparable framework.

Three governments have come and gone, and for the fourth government the LEV framework remains unfinished — supported by a growing library of studies and reports, yet with no demonstrated safety benefit. What has been established, with increasing clarity, is the damage it will cause to the sector.

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Why This Affects Your Business

This is not a distant regulatory concern. If the Dutch LEV framework is adopted, the consequences for your business are direct and concrete:

• Additional costs — a costly Dutch type-approval on top of existing EU certification, for a market of just 18.4 million people.
• RDW monopoly — the RDW sets the technical requirements and carries out the inspections. LEVA-EU questions whether this is compatible with NMA and DG Comp competition rules.
• Market fragmentation — manufacturers would need to develop Netherlands-specific vehicle variants, adding cost and reducing model availability. Single market, anybody?
• No sector dialogue — four governments have passed without any structured consultation with the LEV industry. Survey responses for research reports do not qualify as dialogue.

The Dutch framework does not stop at the Dutch border. If it is allowed to stand, it sets a precedent. Other Member States may follow. The fragmentation of the European single market for LEVs — vehicle by vehicle, country by country — is a real and present risk. This is not a Dutch problem. It is a European one.

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Meeting Details

The meeting will take place on Wednesday 27 May 2026 at 3.30 pm CET. It’s an online meeting only and participation is free.

This meeting is open to all manufacturers, importers, distributors and dealers of electric scooters and (e)cargo bikes — regardless of whether you are a LEVA-EU member, and regardless of your country of origin.

To participate, you just need to register by sending a quick mail to state your interest to annick@leva-eu.com. You will receive the link to the meeting shortly before the start of the meeting.

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What the Meeting Will Cover

At the meeting, LEVA-EU will:

• Explain clearly what the Dutch LEV framework is — what it requires, which vehicles it targets, and what the timeline looks like
• Set out the risks for manufacturers, importers, distributors and dealers across Europe
• Present a concrete action plan to challenge the framework, both with the Dutch authorities and before the European Commission

This is not a passive information session. It is the starting point of a coordinated industry response — and the strength of that response depends entirely on how many companies show up. The more companies that attend, the stronger the collective signal.

If you manufacture, import, distribute or sell electric scooters or (e)cargo bikes — in the Netherlands or anywhere else in Europe — this concerns you. Register now and help LEVA-EU make the case that cannot be dismissed.

Send your registration to annick@leva-eu.com and include:

• Company name
• Activity (manufacturer, importer, distributor, dealer…)
• Brand(s) and vehicle types (e-scooters, (e)cargo bikes, or both)
• Name, job title and email of participant(s)

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