At the opening reception of the 2016 ECF AGM in Stockholm the board and members of the federation recognised the tenth anniversary of the appointment of Bernhard Ensink as Secretary General.  In Stockholm City Hall ECF President Manfred Neun paid tribute to Bernhard’s leadership of ECF and the increasing influence of cycling on the world stage due to his work.

In May 2006 ECF reopened its Brussels office with Bernhard as the sole staff member and a mission to relaunch cycling onto the EU policy agenda. Today it has 25 paid staff and interns and the number of member organisations has doubled. The Declaration of Luxembourg in support of cycling signed by 28 EU member states in October 2015 was a reflection of the new impact of ECF and its partners across the continent.

Bernhard has also combined the role of Velo-city Series Director with his duties as Secretary General. In 2005 Velo-city was attracting 500 delegates every two years, mainly from the advocacy community and some committed cycling cities. Now Velo-city is the annual global cycling summit, moving around the world with record attendances each year and support from the highest political levels. The global platform created by Velo-city has enabled ECF to create the World Cycling Alliance and Bernhard is regularly representing cycling in various United Nations processes.

“I want to thank Bernhard professionally for his achievements for the whole cycling community. Our vision was to put cycling on the highest political stages and all around us is the outstanding evidence of your success” said President Manfred Neun. “And personally I want to thank you for the way we have worked together, you have the highest professional standards which are reflected in the trust and respect you have from all of the ECF family” concluded Neun.

Recognising the reach of ECF under Bernhard’s leadership Manfred spoke of new ECF work which has shown how cycling can influence the Global Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. He presented Bernhard with a replica print of the 12 Memmingen Peasants' Articles of 1525, acknowledged as possibly the first written document of human and liberty rights in Europe.

The ECF AGM continues in Stockholm until Sunday 29th May.