A EU Cycling Strategy: Handover to EU Commissioner for Transport
Exactly one year ago, EU Commissioner for Transport, Mrs. Violeta Bulc asked the European Cyclists' Federation (an umbrella organisation representing national cycling groups) to identify what is the real added value of the EU in improving conditions for cycling across Europe, and to demonstrate that these ideas are supported by a wide set of stakeholders.
After a long multi-stakeholder consultation process including experts as well as Polis and its members, ECF is proud to announce that the EU Cycling Strategy. Recommendations for Delivering Green Growth and an Effective Mobility System in 2030 is now ready.
Download the EU Cycling strategy! Full version HERE, or a Summary here.
On June 16 at the Velo-city conference 2017 in Arnhem-Nijmegen, the Netherlands the EU Cycling Strategy Recommendations will be handed over to Commissioner Mrs. Bulc. Moreover, the Commission will be invited to put the development of an EU Cycling Strategy into the Commission Work Programme 2018 or subsequent initiatives.
Over the past few months the EU Cycling Strategy Expert Group campaign team, with input from approximately a 1,000 stakeholders (NGOs, academics, businesses and cities) from 37 countries, have worked hard to create a 11 chapters long EU Cycling Strategy. The document contains recommendations directed at the EU, national, regional and local level which, if implemented, will improve conditions to get more people cycling and enlarging the co-benefits and added value of cycling in Europe.
These EU Cycling Strategy recommendations encompass all facets cycling advocates and Europe’s cycling community strive for, for cycling to have an equal status in EU policy equivalent to other modes, to grow cycle use by 50% at an average across the EU, to halve rates for killed and seriously injured cyclists, and to double EU investments in cycle projects in the next financial period 2021 – 2027. It addresses behaviour change, cycle friendly infrastructure, vehicle regulation, multimodality and intelligent transport system, a financial and fiscal level playing field, the European bicycle industry, governance and finally, monitoring and evaluation. A detailed overview of the benefits of cycling and its relation to the Sustainable Development Goals are set out in two annexes.
Although the document is finished and in the Commission’s hands, the official adoption is still very much open for discussion and influenced by political pressures. Regardless of the next steps, the recommendations formulated are an excellent basis to continue to grow cycling in Europe for many years to come.
For more information see the website at www.cyclingstrategy.eu