# CE2004065EN.01023701.xml

| 13.3.2004 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | CE 65/237 |
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13.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CE 65/237

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(2004/C 65 E/253)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2881/03

by Jan Dhaene (PSE) to the Commission

(29 September 2003)

Subject:   Bicycle theft

Subject:

Every year, enormous numbers of bicycles are stolen. Many are stolen for individual use, but large numbers of bicycles are also fed into stolen-goods circuits, some of which operate on an international scale.

Belgian research shows that bicycle theft is the ‘daily bread’ of criminals who are involved in more serious crime. Bicycle theft is the most widespread form of crime in Europe.

Plans which the bicycle industry wanted to develop in response to requests from consumer associations and the European Cyclists' Federation, which involved the standardisation of serial numbers, identity chips and obligatory U-locks, have come to nought.

The Commission:

| — | does it have any accurate information about the number of bicycles stolen in the various Member States and about where such stolen goods finish up; |
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does it have any accurate information about the number of bicycles stolen in the various Member States and about where such stolen goods finish up;

| — | does it acknowledge the impact of mass bicycle theft on the attractiveness of the bicycle as a sustainable mode of transport and on an individual's feeling of insecurity; |
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does it acknowledge the impact of mass bicycle theft on the attractiveness of the bicycle as a sustainable mode of transport and on an individual's feeling of insecurity;

| — | is it, together with the bicycle industry, planning to take measures to prevent bicycle theft? |
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is it, together with the bicycle industry, planning to take measures to prevent bicycle theft?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(29 October 2003)

(29 October 2003)

The Commission would like to answer the Honourable Member as follows.

Information on the theft of bicycles is available only for eight Member States. Of those eight, Belgium, Denmark, The Netherlands and Sweden show the largest number of stolen bicycles per capita.

Although there does not exist hard evidence about where the stolen bicycles wind up, there are clear indications that most stolen bicycles are sold to private citizens, either directly or on so-called ‘fencing’ markets.

There do not seem to be indications that the attractiveness of the bicycle as a sustainable mode of transport is negatively influenced by the occurrence of bicycle theft. Victim surveys show, however, that personal experience of criminal victimisation — amongst which bicycle theft — contributes to increasing the feelings of insecurity amongst the population. Feelings of insecurity have been increasing slowly but steadily across the Union between 1996 and 2002.

The theft of bicycles is largely a local, regional or national phenomenon. Effective solutions can and must therefore be taken at those levels in the Member States. What could in addition be usefully done at Union level, however, is to examine within the Union Crime Prevention Network if there are Member States with effective measures to prevent bicycle theft which could be applied in other Member States.

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