Successful lobbying for independent workshops

Successful lobbying for independent workshops

Ten international associations, including the motor vehicle workshop association CECRA, the body association AIRC, the parts manufacturers FIGIEFA and the motorists' clubs FIA, addressed their urgent concerns to the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. Your goal: To ensure fair competitive conditions for all participants in the automotive ecosystem, including independent workshops. The problem: The EU data law must be broken down into individual sectors or industries, but these sector-specific regulations have been on hold for a long time. Conclusion: It is currently becoming increasingly difficult and time-consuming for independent workshops to access the vehicle data necessary for repairs and service work on modern vehicles.

An unofficial letter from EU Commission member Thierry Breton recently landed on the desk of Andreas Westermeyer from the Federal Guild for Automotive Technology, which fuels hope for progress in the matter that is vital to the survival of independent workshops. Breton emphasizes being aware of the importance of the issue of access to vehicle data, functions and resources, as these would promote the development of connected vehicle services, ensure competition, strengthen the competitiveness of the European automotive ecosystem, including independent service providers, and ensure the safety of users. “We share the goal of promoting a dynamic and competitive development of data-driven innovation in the automotive ecosystem,” said Breton. The EU Commission is now preparing a sector-specific initiative to supplement the data law in order to address this important issue. This work will take into account the ongoing discussions about the data law and recent market developments in the automotive industry ecosystem and, based on an assessment of all options, propose sector-specific measures in due course. Andreas Westermeyer is confident: “We have made a VERY big step forward!”