VNUK insurance threat to motorsport is 'binned' by UK, will the EU now follow suit, asks the MIA?
22 February 2021
Since 2014, when the VNUK insurance threat first appeared, the Motorsport Industry Association (MIA) has fought hard, with the support of its members and the wider industry, to keep the valuable EU and UK motorsport industry, and many thousands of jobs, safe from this damaging legislation. That danger still exists but a major breakthrough could encourage the EU to exempt motorsport from their proposals.
Grant Shapps, UK’s Transport Secretary, said he will ‘scrap this over-the-top VNUK law’ so helping British motorists and ‘protecting the existence of the UK’s world-leading motorsport industry’.
The MIA’s CEO, Chris Aylett, welcomed the news. “Thanks to the work of The Secretary of State and his Transport Department colleagues, motorsport in the UK is now safe. However, this is not the case in our major export market – the EU’s 27 countries. The global success of the £10 billion Motorsport Valley UK industry, with 40,000 jobs, relies heavily on EU-based suppliers and customers. They could still be put out of business if the EU’s proposed VNUK law does not exempt motorsport”
The FIA pro-actively represents motorsport, the sport and industry, in Brussels where, even after seven years, an exemption is still being debated. Scrapping these rules will save the European motorsport industry from potential collapse and secure hundreds of thousands of jobs, and investment, across the sector.
“Now the UK has made this welcome decision” says Chris Aylett of the MIA “I ask motorsport businesses across Europe to support the FIA, and their ASNs, by asking their own national governments to secure an exemption for motorsport from VNUK. Our focus should be on re-building our sport and industry following COVID not doing battle with legislators!”
The UK’s Department for Transport press release is here
For further MIA press information or interviews, please contact: Jayne Hawkins at the MIA. Tel: +44 (0)2476 692600. Email: jayne.hawkins@the-mia.com
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