European Commission recommends national support programmes for SUMPs

On 8 March, the European Commission approved a recommendation to assist Member States in aiding their towns and cities in reducing transportation emissions and enhancing urban mobility. The development of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) for the 430 largest cities along the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) would be assisted (SUMPs).

The Commission suggests establishing national initiatives to help the development and implementation of urban mobility plans, which would be overseen by a special agency. Together with technical know-how and financial assistance, help for cities should also include instructional materials, training programmes, and capacity building. Sharing best practices will promote peer learning and networking between cities and communities. Furthermore coordinated initiatives have been planned to raise awareness.

The new Expert Group on Urban Mobility (EGUM) will provide the framework for representatives from national programme management offices to participate.

The Recommendation updates the idea of SUMPs in order to incorporate the most recent policy advancements and strategies to decrease traffic fatalities in cities, combat climate change, and make use of new mobility services. It serves as a follow-up to the Commission's Urban Mobility Framework of 2021.