Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-12-11-Speech-2-415"
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"en.20071211.42.2-415"2
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".
Madam President, the proposal for a directive on legal protection of industrial designs concerns liberalisation of the market in spare parts for the automotive industry. It is estimated that, within the Union, the value of the latter is EUR 10 billion
The common internal market currently only covers the sale of new motor vehicles and most Member States retain provisions protecting designs and must-match spare parts in their national legal systems. This means that the production and trade of parts such as bonnet lids, doors, bumpers and mudguards is not unrestricted. Various national provisions relating to the sector are disrupting competition.
In countries applying total design protection such as Austria, France, Germany and the Czech Republic, spare part prices are between 6% and 10% higher on average. The main losers are European consumers and SMEs that would like to enter into the market and engage in fair competition with authorised agents. The opponents of liberalisation are mainly the large motor manufacturers, who argue that independent producers will sell parts more cheaply, as they do not have to bear the cost of designing and developing new products.
The Commission’s proposal represents a further step towards complete liberalisation of the motor vehicle market in Europe. The repair clause is beneficial to consumers. It attacks the monopoly in the spare parts market and promotes competition between producers. Consequently, spare parts will be cheaper and of better quality. It should be highlighted that 11 Member States of the European Union have already implemented the repair clause, with beneficial consequences for consumers. The countries in question are characterised by high competitiveness and fast economic growth. They include Ireland, the United Kingdom and new Member States such as Latvia, Hungary and Poland.
In fact, packaging is generally the only difference between parts produced by independent producers and parts bearing the company’s logo. Independent producers account for 80% of the parts produced, and only 20% are produced directly by the large companies. Design protection has nothing to do with the safety of the parts, because it only concerns their appearance, as was confirmed by reliable studies conducted across the whole of Europe. In conclusion, I should like to say that a five-year period is the maximum to which European consumers can agree."@en1
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