All three European institutions, the Council, Parliament and Commission, have signed today, 3 April, the European Cycling Declaration, an initiative recognising cycling as a fully-fledged mode of transport.
1. European Cycling Declaration
The European Declaration on Cycling recognises cycling as one of the most sustainable, accessible and inclusive, low-cost and healthy forms of transport and recreation, and its key importance for European society and the economy. The Declaration will serve as a strategic compass for existing and future policies and initiatives related to cycling.
The declaration was signed on the sidelines of a meeting of European transport ministers by Adina Vălean, Commissioner for Transport, Karima Delli, Chair of the Transport Commitee of the European Parliament and Georges Gilkinet, Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium, representing the Belgian Presidency of the Council.
We recognise cycling’s myriad benefits: it reduces pollution, eases urban congestion, and promotes healthier lifestyles.
Adina Vălean, European Commissioner for Transport
“Today, we celebrate the adoption of the European Cycling Declaration as a truly historic achievement. This declaration holds the potential to unlock the benefits of cycling for millions of European citizens, reflecting many of ECF’s longstanding advocacy and policy demands”, said Jill Warren, CEO of the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF). “With cycling elevated to a strategic priority, we stand ready to support the institutions in realising its full potential as a healthy and sustainable means of transport.”
Through the jointly adopted Declaration, the institutions commit to specific actions aimed at unleashing the full potential of cycling in the EU, categorised in eight key principles:
- Developing and strengthening cycling policies
- Encouraging inclusive, affordable and healthy mobility
- Creating more and better cycling infrastructure
- Increasing investments and creating favourable conditions for cycling
- Improving road safety and security
- Supporting quality green jobs and the development of a world-class European cycling industry
- Supporting multimodality and cycling tourism
- Improving the collection of data on cycling
Clear commitments, such as safe and coherent cycling networks in cities, better links with public transport, secure parking spaces, the deployment of charging points for e-bikes and bike highways connecting cities with rural areas, have been decided as a necessity to improve the quality, quantity, continuity and attractiveness of cycling infrastructure across all Member States.
2. Background
In June 2022, 6 countries joined forces for a European Cycling Strategy. Mobility ministers from Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, the Netherlands, Austria and Ireland signed a declaration calling on the EU to “implement a real cycling policy” and for 2024 to be designated the European Year of Cycling. The document further stated that the EU should prioritise cycling in its climate strategy and make citizens more aware of the benefits of cycling. In the meantime, 5 more EU countries have signed the Belgium-led European Cycling Declaration which calls for the bloc to increase the use of bicycles as well as funding for cycling.
In January 2023, a resolution on a EU cycling strategy was adopted in the European Parliament’s Transport and Tourism Committee, voted almost unanimously by the full house of the Parliament the following month. The resolution called for a range of specific actions to double cycling in Europe by 2030.
In October 2023, the European Commission officially launched the European Cycling Declaration as an EU initiative. The institution’s Executive Vice President Frans Timmermans had been promising a “cycling revolution” since July 2022.
