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New FMCEC
Web Site Launched
Following
the success of the first FMCEC site, which recorded its millionth
hit in November, the site has been updated and re-vamped. The
site aims to be not only an information area for the FMCEC but
to act as a portal to members' own web sites and to other construction
related areas.
The new site
has pages for all the FMCEC's activities including: an exhibitions
diary, Export Group bulletins and activities, statistics and technical
activities. Coming soon is a members only password protected site
which will feature a bulletin board, meeting agendas and minutes,
"who's who" and exhibition evaluation details.
Please take
a few minutes to have a look at the site and let us know what
you think. We need your input to keep the site valid and up to
date. Please e-mail us with your ideas for new pages and any useful
hot links that you would like to see included.
CECE Congress
– 29 September to 3 October 1999 - Telfs-Buchen, Austria
This year
the CECE Congress was held in Telfs-Buchen in the Tyrol, Austria.
This is the second time that the VDMA (the German national association)
has organised the Congress. FMCEC was represented by Caterpillar
(UK), Construction Europe, Gomaco International, JCB Sales and
Komatsu (UK) and the Secretariat and there was strong input to
discussions on a range of subjects affecting the various sectors
of the industry.
The Congress
was held in the Interalpen Hotel, owned by Liebherr, set high
up in the mountains and because of the design every room has a
stunning view. However there was not too much time to enjoy the
views as the days and evenings were full of activity. The only
time I enjoyed the view was from the large windows in the meeting
rooms during particularly turgid presentations!
The highlight
of the evening activities was an ethnic evening arranged in a
restaurant high on a mountain and we were told to wear casual
clothes and stout shoes, as the road was not made up. The only
problem was that on the evening in question it rained and then
some! We arrived at the top looking bedraggled but alcohol and
good company soon warned us up. We had a traditional Austrian
meal and enjoyed the alpine horn and band. After the meal it was
still raining and most opted for a lift down the mountain either
in a farm trailer or in my case in a large bucket mounted on the
back of a tractor. There is no better way to break down national
barriers than to stand literally cheek by cheek in a farm tractor
bucket with other nationalities in the pouring rain at midnight.
The Congress,
which incorporated some useful workshops on a range of subjects;
- Construction
Machinery Vision 2010 - New developments in design and application
techniques.
- Latin America
– Market for the future, access deficits for the European construction
equipment industry, risks and chances.
- Small Companies
– Big Strategies.
At the Congress
Mr H Wiedenhues of Krupp Fördertechnik (Germany) retired
as President and was succeeded by Mr M Van der Linden of Caterpillar
(Belgium). Mr Arghinenti of Fiat-Hitachi Excavators (Italy) became
1st Vice President and Mr H Peters of Volvo Construction
(Sweden) became 2nd Vice President.
Since Congress
Mr Wiedenhues represented European manufacturers at the Trans
Atlantic Business Dialogue meetings held in Berlin, where pressure
was again applied to the European Commission to make faster progress
with the harmonisation of road regulations throughout Europe.
Representations were made to US government officials concerning
the effects of the Clean Air Act requirements in the various states
of the USA and their product liability laws.
Like the Federation,
CECE is also reviewing its past, current and future range of activities
on behalf of manufacturers throughout Europe and the Federation
will play an active part in the ongoing discussions.
Statistical
Meetings
The Congress
meetings approved both the Intercontinental Policy Manual and
the Intercontinental Procedures Manual. Other international associations
have since done the same. These decisions are the culmination
of several years of discussion. Now all companies participating
in the statistics can be clear about the principles underlying
statistical gathering and the rules to follow.
A survey is
being undertaken of detailed company procedures in order to assist
analysis of data. Another survey is being carried out on reporting
locations to help analysis of under/double reporting. The results
will be available in the next couple of months.
The Secretariat
for the International Statistical Committee passed by rota on
1st January from Pam Hyde, at the Federation, to the
Japanese association, CEMA for the next two years.
The statistical
software developed for CECE by GPS has not proved satisfactory
and a new web based solution (Java software running on Oracle)
is now proposed. Priorities include that the new software support
all exchanges, be secure, be able to manage revisions, have import
& export functions and include integrated model charts. Jacqui
Nother-Smith from JCB is a member of a small Working Group of
key statistical people working with the developer of this software.
New monthly
shipment statistics have been set up for telescopic handler and
two & four wheel drive rough terrain fork lift trucks. Jacqui
Nother-Smith, JCB, is the CECE Product Chairman for these exchanges
as well as remaining Product Chairman for Backhoe Loaders.
World Trade
Committee
The CECE and
international association meetings of this Committee, chaired
by Richard Sharp of JCB, had some sharp words of criticism for
the UK government on the implementation of the Machinery Directive.
The FMCEC was urged to put pressure on finance and insurance companies
and the other national associations were asked to write to the
Commission to complain that the UK was not implementing the law.
The state
of world trade was closely examined and presentations were given
by EMI and CIMA on the North American economy, by CEMA on the
Japanese economy and for CECE by Richard Sharp, JCB, on Western
Europe and the rest of the world. Copies of the presentations
are available from the Federation upon request.
Strategic
Product Planning
Dr Joe Harder
from OneStone Consulting led a very interesting Workshop at the
Congress which included reviewing customers, adapting products/services
to customers & portfolio analysis. Contact Sharna at the
Federation if you would like a copy of the slides.
Engineering
Report
The Technical
Commission met all day on Thursday and for half a day on Saturday.
The very full meetings covered :
- Noise Directive,
which is now being implemented by the member states.
- The Road
Travel Directive which has apparently come to a standstill because
of a lack of EU funding.
- Physical
Agents (Vibration) Directive discussion on this important and
far-reaching Directive took a good part of the meeting. The
Directive will impact heavily on the construction equipment
industry as our equipment’s produce considerable vibration levels.
It was decided to set up a CECE Working Group to formulate policy
on this Directive – David Monk will be the FMCEC representative.
- Trans Atlantic
Business Dialogue (TABD) issues that would be discussed in Berlin.
This item was the subject of a lengthy but productive informal
evening workshop producing a common CECE stance.
- Mike Smith
gave a presentation on the UK’s approach to plant security.
The presentation was well received and it is clear that other
nations are taking an increasing interest in this Home Office
initiative to reduce plant theft.
Will Construction
Equipment Statistics be Affected by the New Rules for Agricultural
Machinery Statistics?
On 20 September
1999, the Commission issued a press release about the agreement
of tractor & agricultural machinery manufacturers to alter
their statistical rules. This statement is a compromise interpretation
about running the statistics so as to prevent disclosure &
promote competition. As a result the Commission closed many litigation
files of several years standing.
Legal advice
given to one of the companies involved, a manufacturer of construction
as well as agricultural equipment, is that the new rules equally
apply to construction equipment statistics in the European Economic
Area.
This view
is not acceptable to CECE but data for the month of November 1999
onwards will not be published until clarification is received.
If the new principles do apply, the penalty for the participating
company could be a fine of up to 10% of gross revenue for ten
years.
The new principles
established by the Commission are that:
- Individual
data, identifying brand or model, may not be exchanged unless
it is over 12 months old.
- Data under
12 months old may be exchanged provided that each data cell
contains data supplied by at least 3 entities belonging to different
industrial or financial groups. If there are less than 3 participants,
data may be exchanged if there are more than 10 units reported
in each data cell.
The interpretation
of the above principles differs from the rules currently used
for CECE and intercontinental exchanges because, although a minimum
of 3 participants must report in each data cell, these can be
zero returns. In fact the majority of cells show zero in any given
month as many of the countries are small & the breakdown of
product is detailed e.g. Luxembourg, crawler excavators, 11-12
metric tons, for August. Although there are over three manufacturers
offering machines for sale in this data cell, no sales are necessarily
made & a zero would be shown.
The application
of the new rules to CECE and intercontinental statistics would
severely disrupt the flow of market information and would affect
year to date data (under an anti-deduction rule) as well as monthly
data.
The CECE lawyers
advise that the Commission’s new rules do not apply to construction
equipment that is a different industry with many more players.
In November, CECE therefore requested clarification by the Commission,
DG4 - Competition, on whether the new rules would apply to construction
equipment. The Commission then made a formal request that CECE
supply full details of the statistics in which member companies
participate so that they can decide if the exchanges infringe
Article 81 of the Treaty of Rome. Details were submitted on 2
December.
As an
answer will take some months, CECE is also applying to the Commission
for negative clearance to enable data for November 1999 onwards
to be published in the interim. CECE statistical experts, who
include Richard Sharp from JCB, meet to discuss the matter with
the Head of Unit DG4 on 17 January.
Transport
Law and Management 1999 Handbook
All
FMCEC members are members of the Freight Transport Association
(FTA). We have received a copy of the useful FTA handbook entitled
Transport Law and Management. The handbook covers:
- Fleet running
costs
- O-licence
changes
- Packaging
waste and dangerous goods requirements.
- The effects
of the devolution on transport.
- Social
legislation.
- Legislation
and transport policy requirements.
Copies of
the 79 page A5 booklet are available from Freight Transport
Association, Tel: 01892 526171 Fax: 01892 552359
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