From a press release issued by the Master of Endurance series:

Les 24 Heures du Mans, les 24 Heures de Liège et le Bol d’Or

The three organizers having created the Master of Endurance file a complaint with the European Commission against the FIM for abuse of dominant position

The 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 24 Hours of Liège and the Bol d’Or, the three organizers which have created the Master of Endurance, have filed a complaint against the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (“FIM”) for abuse of dominant position contrary to Article 82 of the Treaty of Rome. The complaint concerns, in particular, the refusal of the FIM, announced in Prague on October 13, 2002, to recognize the Master of Endurance as a series giving rise to a classification and to prizes, and this on the sole grounds that it would not be in a position to recognize a series which would be in competition with its own World Endurance Championship. The FIM indicated that in the event that the three organizers were to proceed with the organization of such a series, it would deprive all participants in such series of the totality of access to the essential facilities which the FIM holds, alone, and which constitute the indispensable support of motorcycle sports: the granting of licenses (competitors and riders and officials); insurance; homologation/certification of race circuits; verification of safety compliance; etc.

In order to maintain their access to these essential facilities, the three organizers were obliged to respect the authority of the FIM and comply. For this reason, the 24 Hours Moto of Le Mans has been organized on April 12 and 13, 2003 as an individual international meeting. Nonetheless, the organizers believe that the decision by the FIM had as its sole purpose to protect its own commercial interests and not to defend the interests of motorcycle sports and that is the reason for which they have filed their complaint with the Commission.

Through their common name “Master of Endurance”, the three organizers want to propose a new series of endurance racing to the public. The intention of the three organizers has been to perpetuate the true spirit of endurance racing and to offer to all those who are brought together by motorcycle sports the possibility to express themselves, to communicate and to give value to the specific qualities of long-distance racing: brio and reliability.

The competitors and riders, the public, the media and sponsors should have the possibility to choose between the concept of the World Endurance Championship of the FIM and that of the Master of Endurance as a series (or championship, that is to say giving rise to a series classification and to overall prizes).

The threat of being deprived of access to the essential facilities has prevented the three organizers from proposing their new series concept to the motorcycle racing world. To the organizers’ knowledge, this is the first time that the Commission is being called upon to apply, in the framework of the rules of competition, the doctrine of essential facilities to the sports world. The three organizers have full confidence that the European Commission, as guardian of the rules of competition, will take all necessary measures in this case.