JUNE 27, 2002

The FIA votes for growth

AN Extraordinary General Assembly of the FIA in Paris has voted in favor of a complete merger with the Alliance Internationale de Tourisme (AIT). The two organizations, which have always overlapped somewhat, started working together in 1998 when they established a joint secretariat in Geneva. This was followed by the establishment of a joint World Board in 2000.

The process of merging the two organizations completely took a step forward last autumn when America's Robert Dabelnet was elected President of the AIT and, at the same time, became Deputy President of the FIA.

The AIT General Assembly will now meet to confirm the full merger but it is anticipated that David Ward, the Secretary-General of the FIA for Touring and the Automobile will move aside to hand over his job to Peter Doggwiler, the Director General of the AIT, and will now concentrate on the activities of the FIA Foundation.

The merger will have no effect on the sport but will give the FIA-AIT more lobbying power with governments around the world.