"The urban infrastructure is one of the priorities of local councils"
Interview with Javier Yoller, President of Afamour, Spanish Association of manufacturers of street furniture and playgrounds
May 15, 2008
"The game is considered to the child as fundamental as the right to health, safety, or education". (With this quote from the beginning of the Declaration of the rights of the child adopted by the general Assembly of the United Nations 30-11-59) is Afamour, the Spanish Association of manufacturers of street furniture and playgrounds. A declaration of intentions of this Association, which presents us with its President, Javier Yoller.
Afamour introduced draft D'Urban, a product line dedicated to urban furniture, children's parks and circuits biosaludables for the elderly.
What are the main activities of the Association?
We intend to be a forum of encounter for the companies manufacturers of street furniture and a reference in the field of children's parks in the country. Activities include from training, institutional relations, assistance to fair, market studies, technical reports and advice to companies.
And what is the profile of its members?
Like most of the industrial structure in Spain, our associated companies are SMEs of a size less than 50 workers, with special dedication to the playground of outdoor sector. They also belong to the affiliates Association of European manufacturers and have been recently incorporated companies engaged in the installation and maintenance of the areas of game.
What is the scope of action of Afamour?
Our headquarters is in Madrid, thanks to the agreements of collaboration with Confemadera, but we have partners in all areas of the State, and most of Valencian Community, Basque country and Madrid. We belong also to Efip (European Federation of children's parks) based in Brussels.
On the level of performances, there are three working committees; technology and standards, the dissemination and advertising and the fairs and institutional relations. The Technical Committee is that more projects being developed at this time including: the elaboration of a strategic plan for the sector and the promotion of the design.
In recent years how has the mentality of the public authorities with regard to street furniture evolved?
The equipment of our urban environment has become a major concern for Governments, especially the municipal. Unfortunately this interest is continues to be closely linked to the local electoral periods be cyclical, which gives an important factor of instability on the market of urban furniture.
There is also greater control over public spending and a trend, possibly motivated by this aspect, to generate global tenders with high amounts of tender and difficult conditions to medium sized businesses.
Child safety in public spaces is one of the issues that most concern to parents and educators. How they value with the rules adopted in this respect last year?
Child safety is one of the first concerns for all businesses engaged in the areas of leisure equipment. In fact we were pioneers in the application of the rules of European in-1176 and 1177 since its inclusion in the Spanish legislation by Aenor in 1999.
Currently the revision of these standards with new safety requirements for the elements of game new or reformed, as networks of climbs, inflatable and anti-caídas coatings being finalized at European level.
Since the Association enacted the fulfilment of all the criteria of security policy, although today there is a community or national policy to make them mandatory except in certain autonomous communities.
The companies in the areas of leisure equipment we were pioneers in the application of standards in 1176 and 1177 on child safety
What they assume fairs as Municipalia or Tem Tecma to its partners?
Both are the two most traditional sector of municipal equipment fairs in Spain, but also other exhibition halls as Expoalcaldía in Zaragoza or Construmat Barcelona are showcases of our news.
Urban equipment companies it means a major effort assist them and each select their presentations based on their business objectives.
Finally, what's new feature this year at the fair?
Afamour presents the draft D'Urban, a design project that has been the joint performance of companies and designers who have developed a new product lines in the area of urban furniture, children's parks and circuits biosaludables for the elderly.
This presentation is intended to a dual objective of disseminating and promoting design in the urban equipment sector and to present new proposals and new models that companies put at the disposal of the urban furnishing managers.
Related Companies or Entities
Asociación Española de Normalización y Certificación
