Brussels, 28/01/2002 (Agence Europe) - While the Commission prepares to make its proposal of regulation on car distribution public, on 5 February (and not 30 January, as initially foreseen), the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) presented to the press on Monday its point of view on the new elements coming to light that could considerably change the European landscape in this sector (see EUROPE 10/01, p.9). Jean-Martin Folz, ACEA President, reserves a mitigated welcome to the proposals put forward by Commissioner Monti. Although he welcomes the intention to authorise car manufacturers to determine the number and locality of their dealers and to demand an after-sales service from them, he is nonetheless concerned about other provisions that threaten these two principles. Thus, according to ACEA: 1) conditionally authorising more dealers would bring in discrimination between European makers (the Commission's project would foresee opening the market up to competition if a maker holds a market share of over 15%); 2) the absence of geographically limited zones would be harmful for consumers that could, in the less populated areas, no longer have an after-sales services close to hand; 3) the possibility for dealers to sell different makes is not a bad idea as long as the identity of the make is respected (e.g. cars in specific parts of the show room). Mr Folz thus again stressed the effectiveness of the current system admitting that improvements are needed but vigorously rejecting radical reform.