National Support for SUMPs

In March 2023, the European Commission issued a groundbreaking Recommendation on National Support Programmes for Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning (SUMP), urging every Member State to put in place a national programme with a dedicated office to assist cities in developing sustainable urban mobility planning.

The National Support Programmes for Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning are designed to provide comprehensive resources, including guidance materials, training programmes, and capacity building. They aim to offer technical expertise alongside financial support to cities, foster networks among cities and towns, and orchestrate targeted communication campaigns. The Recommendation also provides guidance to Member States and cities on preparing for the urban nodes requirements proposed for the Trans-European transport network.

In April 2024, the European Parliament formally adopted a revised regulation of the Trans-European Network for Transport (TEN-T). For the first time, the revised TEN-T objectives and priorities include a recommendation that all Member States should establish a national SUMP support programme aimed at promoting the uptake of SUMPs, improving coordination among regions, cities, and towns, and reinforcing the monitoring and evaluation of SUMP implementation.

ELTIS project in a nutshell

To empower mobility planning authorities across the European Union to adopt the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) as their standard European-wide strategic planning approach, the ELTIS project underscores the critical role of national and regional levels in supporting SUMP implementation.

In 2023, The European Commission's Expert Group on Urban Mobility and the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport of the European Commission, with the support of the ELTIS consortium, conducted a comprehensive survey. This survey, contracted by the European Commission, aimed to gain a better understanding of the status and efficiency of National SUMP Support Programmes (NSSP) across Member States (and competent regions). Specifically, the survey sought to:

• Assess the status of national SUMP support programmes in EU member states;
• Evaluate the scope and content of existing programmes;
• Identify key challenges hindering sustainable urban mobility planning in cities, regions, and Member States;
• Determine the needs of local, regional, and national authorities for the development or improvement of national programmes;
• Gauge the state of play and awareness of SUMPs.

Ministerial Insights on NSSP from Poland, Greece, and Slovenia

The survey of Member States representatives reveals that for urban nodes on the TEN-T network and other cities, a comprehensive and integrated approach to sustainable urban transport planning is essential. Developing high-quality SUMPs requires a systematic understanding and targeted support at both the national and local levels. The analysis of the survey and interviews with national SUMP contact points highlighted significant progress in national support programmes in countries like Poland, Greece, and Slovenia.

Poland

Urban mobility in Poland is a key component of the National Urban Policy 2030 adopted by the Government. In 2023, the Minister of Infrastructure established the SUMP Steering Committee, which adopted the Principles of Quality Management of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans in Poland, particularly within the EU’s 2021-2027 perspective. The evaluation process for all SUMPs in Poland is standardised, regardless of the programme used or whether EU funds are involved.

The quality evaluation of SUMPs for all 2021-2027 programmes is conducted by an evaluation team within the Centre for EU Transport Projects (CEUTP), in cooperation with the SUMP Competence Centre within the Ministry of Infrastructure. Additionally, a SUMP plenipotentiary has been appointed at the Ministry of Infrastructure.

To ensure effective communication, knowledge transfer, and dissemination, Poland has established a National SUMP website and the SUMP Competence Centre. Through a technical support instrument project, the following activities are undertaken:

• Verification of existing SUMPs;
• Collaboration with technical universities in Poland;
• Verification of policies that align with SUMP principles;
• Assistance in contract formulation for consultants, including requirement specification, documentation quality, and acceptance support;
• Evaluation and formulation of recommendations during SUMP preparation or updates;
• Opportunities for participants to exchange views every six months, at least six times during the duration of the project;
• Organisation of conferences and seminars.

As a result of the NSSP, 45 cities in Poland have adopted or are engaged in the preparation of their SUMPs.

SUMP Pilot project final report for Poland
Maria Perkuszewska

Slovenia

Meeting of the national task force Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia (UIRS)

In Slovenia, urban mobility policy is regulated at the national level by the Comprehensive Transport Planning Act, adopted in October 2022, along with the Rules on SUMP in June 2023. These regulations make it mandatory for 12 city municipalities in Slovenia to develop Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans.

Slovenia’s first SUMP support programme was established in 2012 as a national project, providing national guidelines and initiating the first SUMP preparation tender in 2015. Since then, NSSP has been updated regularly in 2018, 2020, and 2023. The NSSP aims to establish a comprehensive approach to SUMP development and implementation, expand SUMPs to the national level, promote intermunicipal collaboration, and monitor and evaluate SUMP quality, results, and impacts.

NSSP is led by the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy and the Ministry of Infrastructure. Key elements of the programme include:

• National/regional funding conditional on having a SUMP
• Coordination and development
• Legislation
• Financial and other incentives
• Guidelines and methodology
• Quality control, monitoring, and evaluation
• Information, education, and promotion

Meeting of the national task force
Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia (UIRS)

The monitoring and evaluation of SUMP implementation are mandated by law. The legislation defines five common output indicators on modal split and an implementation indicator (share of implemented actions from the action plan). A SUMP quality control tool is in place to improve the document’s quality and raise awareness of key content.  Regular updates of the SUMP are required every seven years by law. The existing national guidelines are developed within the national planning framework, based on EU guidelines, and adapted to national needs, especially for small- and medium-sized towns and cities. These guidelines cover sub-topics such as parking policy, SULPs, walking, cycling, and public involvement.

To ensure effective communication and knowledge transfer, the National Task Force (NTF) for SUMPs includes stakeholders from all government levels and academic support.

The National Platform for Sustainable Mobility features an official website, newsletters, national research programmes, targeted research programmes, and national guidelines. It also organises annual national conferences with educational programmes.

Future plans for Slovenia include the introduction of regional SUMPs with pilot SUMPs and guidelines under preparation, as well as the development of the second generation of local municipal SUMPs.

As a result of the NSSP, 96 municipalities in Slovenia have adopted SUMPs.

Greece

In 2016, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (MoIT) established a Working Group for SUMPs to assess the needs and capacities of local authorities. This group developed guidelines for SUMPs and established an Administration Unit to support their implementation, drawing on EU guidelines and best practices. The following year, the MoIT established a Dedicated Unit for SUMPs, which focused on creating a; legal framework for SUMPs, monitoring their development, facilitating capacity building for local authorities, and developing a strategic plan to promote sustainable urban mobility. SUMP funding was also secured through the ‘Green Fund,’ managed by the Ministry of Environment and Energy.

SUMPs were formally defined in national law in 2019, and in 2021, local authorities were mandated to prepare SUMPs, outlining the SUMP cycle, objectives, and procedures.

Currently, legislation for SUMPs (Law 4784/2021 & Article 93 Law 5039/2023) requires all municipalities with over 30,000 inhabitants and regional authorities to develop SUMPs. Proposed SUMP measures that align with Law 4784/2021 and fall within the areas of responsibility of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport will be reviewed by the Minister and may be prioritised for inclusion in the annual Public Investment Program.

An online National SUMP platform has been established to monitor SUMP implementation. This platform facilitates the submission of step-by-step ‘SUMP Cycle Reports,’ and mandates regular SUMP updates of the SUMP. SUMPs must be revised based on periodic progress reports or new data or needs at any time after five years, and no later than ten years from the issuance of the ministerial decision that designates the mobility plan as a SUMP.

As a result of the NSSP, 95 municipalities and regional authorities have adopted or are in the process of developing SUMPs.

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About the author: 

Marko Stančec coordinates the Climate Neutral Cities Mission Taskforce, focused on the transport component of climate plans. He has extensive experience in city networks and policy in mobility, SUMPs, urban space management, transport data analysis and management, and multimodal urban nodes.