Victory oVer ‘Vnuk’ – for now
The Motorsport Industry Association (MIA) has welcomed the European Parliament’s initial decision to exempt racing cars from sweeping changes to the EU’s Motor Insurance Directive (MID) on 22 January – but has warned enthusiasts, organisers and other interested parties against complacency.
The requirement for individual vehicles to carry comprehensive liability insurance, regardless of whether they were roadworthy or otherwise (or on public or private land), came out of a contentious 2014 European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling better known as ‘Vnuk’, named after Slovenian farmer Damijan Vnuk, who was knocked off a ladder by a tractor on private property. Fearful of rising costs that would also affect classics on SORN and in museums, campaigners have been petitioning for exclusions from a revised MID for the past five years. The MIA released a Position Paper explaining its support for exemption of vehicles used, stored and worked on in these contexts.
While the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO)’s decision was favourable, the 22 January result – based on amendments championed by British MEP Daniel Dalton and IMCO vice- chair and Rapporteur, Dita Charanzová – had a long way to go before being ratified. The voted-for amendments to the MID requires further approval by the European Parliament, the Commission and Council of Ministers, any of whom may yet seek changes.
MIA chief executive, Chris Aylett, encouraged every person or company affected by an unchallenged ‘Vnuk’ ruling to the MID to email Dalton and Charanzová individually. He said: ‘There are IMCO MEPs who do not support our position and have put forward their own amendments – which could deny us the result we require.’ Following the IMCO vote, the tabled amendments moves on to a vote in the full Parliament Plenary on 13 February.
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