The Annual General Assembly for the Alliance Internationale de Tourisme (AIT) met yesterday to discuss the progress being made in a number of key areas, as well as to conduct elections for key positions within the organisation.

Firstly, the Assembly was made aware of key operational changes which have taken place within the Mobility arm of the FIA this year, with a strong platform now in place to manage and coordinate the relationship of FIA activities and the AIT.

Andrew McKellar, FIA Secretary-General for Automobile Mobility and Tourism, then presented the advances made over the past 12 months, especially in the development of the e-CPD Project which is set to streamline and modernise the process of providing temporary transfer of motor vehicles across borders.

The aim is to connect all users of the CPD in real time, providing information to Clubs, border forces, insurers and users. “In the past 12 months we’ve got to the point where the system has been built and we’re going through the process of the final checks before the roll-out process in the first part of 2017,” said McKellar. “We’re planning for full deployment in the last quarter of 2017.”

One of the key challenges in this area is ensuring the security of operational processes and fighting forgery. McKellar continued: “Providing upgraded security features and tracking and tracing systems should reassure Member Clubs that we have a system in place to fight the risk of forgery and also other competition entering the market. It’s important for the FIA to protect Member Clubs in this area.”

After 12 years, this was the final meeting for Werner Kraus as AIT President. Thierry Willemarck was welcomed as the body’s new president.