The General Assemblies of the European Lift Association (ELA) and the European Elevator Association (EEA) reflected a mood of cautious optimism about the outlook for the lift sector in 2021/2022. The General Assemblies were held virtually from the organizations’ joint headquarters in Brussels on Monday 17 May 2021.

The good financial health of the Associations was confirmed despite the ongoing pandemic that has had a significant impact on the industrial sector throughout Europe. The global lift sector registers a turnover of around USD 80 billion, and of the 17 million units installed worldwide, 6.5 million are installed in Europe. The strength of ELA comes from the more than 200 expert technicians from its various member associations who, through their professionalism, debate the issues addressed in ELA’s Technical Committees and Working Groups, producing information notes, technical opinions and ELA positions.

Dialogue and participation in discussions at all levels, including with the certifying bodies, the Standardization Organizations (CEN, ISO and ETSI) and the European Institutions, ensure that the sector is constantly updated on the issues of greatest interest in the benefit of its members.

Changes to the ELA Board

The ELA Board (representing 23 national associations, in addition to EEA, with over 1,500 companies) has been completely renewed, and the mandate of the current ELA President, Roberto Zappa, has been renewed for a further three-year term. The new directors are as follows:

ANIE – ASSOASCENSORI – Italy – Represented by Mr. Roberto Zappa (ELA President)

AYSAD – Turkey – Represented by Mr. Savaşal Sayin

Fédération des Ascenseurs – France – Represented by Mr. Philippe Boué

FEEDA – Spain – Represented by Mr. Antonio Pérez

LEIA- United Kingdom – Represented by Mr. George Jackson

VDMA – Germany – Represented by Mr. Björn Kollmorgen

AGORIA – Belgium – Represented by Mr. Kris Schockaert

HISSFÖRBUNDET- Sweden – Represented by Mr. Ake Carlsson

PETAK – Greece – Represented by Mr. Apostolos Kalyvas

SUHY – Finland – Represented by Mr. Ari Ketonen

VSA – Switzerland – Represented by Mr. René Hermann

VFA Interlift – Germany – Represented by Mr. Achim Hütter

European Elevator Association – Represented by Mr. Christian de Mas Latrie

European Elevator Association – Represented by Mr. Aitzol Garcia

European Elevator Association – Represented by Mr. Wim Koster

European Elevator Association – Represented by Mr. Jorge Ligüerre

European Elevator Association – Represented by Mr. Gerhard Schiffner

Roberto Zappa, ELA President

Changes to the EEA Management Committee

The EEA Management Committee was partially renewed, with the following directors joining the new President, Wim Koster:

Wim Koster (President)

Christian de Mas Latrie

Aitzol Garcia Castellanos

Jorge Ligüerre

Rudolf Ramseier

Gerhard Schiffner

Olivier Terryn

Roberto Zappa

About ELA

The European Lift Association (ELA) is a non-profit making international non-governmental organization and is the umbrella body for all European Lift associations. It represents the European lift manufacturing, maintenance and component industry (some 100.000 employees). ELA is therefore the voice of the lift, escalator and moving walk industry in Europe.

ELA supports and represents the interests of its members and promotes quality, safety and the highest technical standards. To this end, ELA engages with the European Commission, the European
Parliament and other relevant institutions and organizations. It is ELA’s mission to move urban mobility and accessibility onwards and upwards into a safe, sustainable future.

About EEA

The main purpose of the Association is to make the built environment totally accessible, by promoting the quality and safety of equipment and services related to lifts, goods lifts, escalators, passenger conveyors and associated systems, manufactured, installed or maintained in the enlarged European Union (EU) and the European Free Trade Area (EFTA). The Association serves the public in safe and uninterrupted usage of such equipment.

The Association groups individual companies that are committing themselves to that very purpose. The Association is conceived as the contact platform where members can meet and learn about new European developments through international conventions, conferences and meetings. The Association presently has more than 150 members. Most companies manufacture, install and maintain lifts, escalators and moving walks across Europe. The association also counts numerous component manufacturers covering all main families of lift & escalator components. Member companies are transnational companies present on all continents but also companies with a European-wide coverage as well as many medium-size or small companies with a limited geographical coverage, in the electrical or hydraulic lifts business. The number of small and mediumsize enterprises which are members of EEA represents around a third of the membership.

EEA represents and supports the interests of its members by being an active member of the European Lift Association (ELA) that regroups most associations, active in the world of lifts, escalators and moving walks in the EU and in the EFTA.