The European Motor Insurance Directive

(The Vnuk issue)

One step closer to the passing of the Motor Vehicles (Compulsory Insurance) Bill

31 January 2022
Thanks to all MIA Members and the wider industry community who contacted their MPs as requested. We are happy to report the good news that the Motor Vehicles (Compulsory Insurance) Bill passed its Third Reading in the House of Commons on Friday 26 January. 

Now it goes into the House of Lords and, if approved, onwards for Royal Assent, the final stage for this to be put into law. It is hoped this could be given before or around Easter, in late April. 

Urgent call for MIA Members and UK motorsport companies to reach out to local MPs who will vote and hopefully pass the Motor Vehicles (Compulsory Insurance) Bill on Friday 28 January 2022

The House of Commons will vote on and hopefully pass the Motor Vehicles (Compulsory Insurance) Bill on Friday 28th January. This would meet the UK Government’s long-standing public commitment to remove VNUK from the law in England, Scotland and Wales, thereby protecting the future of UK motorsport. 

It is vital to thousands of people employed in the UK’s globally recognised motorsport industry that this Bill is passed on Friday to come into effect shortly afterwards.

To ensure MPs are aware of the importance of this Bill being passed into law, we urgently ask you to immediately write to your local MP using some of the wording from the message within this document, as you wish. You can find details of your local MP here.

EU Parliament lifts a dark cloud from European motorsport

On 21 October 2021, the EU Parliament finally resolved the threat of the, now infamous, VNUK insurance issue as part of their revised Motor Insurance Directive. 

“Just the news needed from the EU, everyone can now confidently grow and enjoy motorsport from sport to the industry,” said Chris Aylett, CEO of the Motorsport Industry Association (MIA) “ …with the active support of our members and industry, we have worked hard, for many years, with the excellent FIA team, to get this result. I am delighted that sanity and common sense has prevailed.”

The leading MEP, Dita Charanzova , said in Strasbourg yesterday  

"...Today, we end the uncertainty around Motorsports in Europe which will be able to keep racing, we have removed the dark cloud over Motorsports. For years, it has been unclear what were the insurance requirements for racing vehicles.. For many motorsports, especially amateur competitions, to require full Motor Insurance would have seen their demise as either no one would sell them the necessary insurance or the price of that insurance would be beyond all reason. 

After today, it will be clear. While a competition must have insurance to cover spectators and other third parties, there is no European requirement to have full Motor Insurance on each racing vehicle. This means the viewing public can keep visiting the race track in our towns and cities across Europe and have a good time. They will be protected and motorsports will stay legal in Europe. How these reforms are now implemented is in the hands of each of the Member States. I hope the common sense shown by the European Parliament is mirrored at the national level.”

For more information and to read the history of this Vnuk issue, please check our Vnuk - useful links page. 

To speak directly with Chris Aylett, CEO of the MIA or for further information on this Vnuk issue please contact jayne.hawkins@the-mia.com