# L_2023073EN.01002301.xml

| 10.3.2023 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | L 73/23 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |

10.3.2023

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 73/23

---

COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION (EU) 2023/550

of 8 March 2023

on National Support Programmes for Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning

(notified under document C(2023) 1524)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 292 thereof,

Whereas:

| (1) | The European Green Deal (1) sets the objective of achieving a climate-neutral EU economy by 2050. It calls for a 90 % reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from transport. The Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy (2) has put forward measures to help achieve this objective, including measures for promoting sustainable, smart, safe and healthy urban mobility. |
| --- | --- |

(1)

The European Green Deal (1) sets the objective of achieving a climate-neutral EU economy by 2050. It calls for a 90 % reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from transport. The Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy (2) has put forward measures to help achieve this objective, including measures for promoting sustainable, smart, safe and healthy urban mobility.

| (2) | The Communication on the New EU Urban Mobility Framework (3) prioritises more sustainable transport solutions – collective and public transport, shared mobility, walking and cycling – with the aim of increasing their use for better and more energy-efficient door-to-door mobility while at the same time contributing to citizens’ health and wellbeing. |
| --- | --- |

(2)

The Communication on the New EU Urban Mobility Framework (3) prioritises more sustainable transport solutions – collective and public transport, shared mobility, walking and cycling – with the aim of increasing their use for better and more energy-efficient door-to-door mobility while at the same time contributing to citizens’ health and wellbeing.

| (3) | Sustainable urban mobility contributes to a series of European policies aimed at promoting low- and zero-emission mobility (4), improving air quality and road safety, while generating co-benefits for citizens’ health and wellbeing. Effective urban mobility planning can help advance related European and national policies directly at the local level. As highlighted by the Communication on the long-term Vision for the EU’s Rural Areas (5) and the accompanying EU Rural Action Plan, better integrating urban, peri-urban and rural mobility are essential for promoting sustainable mobility solutions. |
| --- | --- |

(3)

Sustainable urban mobility contributes to a series of European policies aimed at promoting low- and zero-emission mobility (4), improving air quality and road safety, while generating co-benefits for citizens’ health and wellbeing. Effective urban mobility planning can help advance related European and national policies directly at the local level. As highlighted by the Communication on the long-term Vision for the EU’s Rural Areas (5) and the accompanying EU Rural Action Plan, better integrating urban, peri-urban and rural mobility are essential for promoting sustainable mobility solutions.

| (4) | The urban mobility package of 2013 (6) introduced Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) as a framework for cities and towns for planning and implementing responses to urban mobility policy challenges in the entire functional urban area. Since then, the Commission has been encouraging the widespread uptake of SUMPs as a cornerstone of European urban mobility policy. The concept and the related European SUMP guidelines have been used extensively by local authorities, planners and stakeholders. It has proven to be an effective, robust and flexible tool that cities can rely on for planning urban mobility measures. |
| --- | --- |

(4)

The urban mobility package of 2013 (6) introduced Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) as a framework for cities and towns for planning and implementing responses to urban mobility policy challenges in the entire functional urban area. Since then, the Commission has been encouraging the widespread uptake of SUMPs as a cornerstone of European urban mobility policy. The concept and the related European SUMP guidelines have been used extensively by local authorities, planners and stakeholders. It has proven to be an effective, robust and flexible tool that cities can rely on for planning urban mobility measures.

| (5) | In its special report 06/2020: Sustainable Urban Mobility in the EU (7), the European Court of Auditors underlined that Member States and their cities are responsible for managing urban mobility policies, in line with the principle of subsidiarity. The Court found that local urban mobility measures were not always consistent with sustainable urban mobility objectives. National Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) support programmes would contribute to improve links between the SUMP concept and local sustainable urban mobility plans. |
| --- | --- |

(5)

In its special report 06/2020: Sustainable Urban Mobility in the EU (7), the European Court of Auditors underlined that Member States and their cities are responsible for managing urban mobility policies, in line with the principle of subsidiarity. The Court found that local urban mobility measures were not always consistent with sustainable urban mobility objectives. National Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) support programmes would contribute to improve links between the SUMP concept and local sustainable urban mobility plans.

| (6) | The revised Regulation on Union guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) (8) proposes that urban nodes on the TEN-T network adopt a SUMP in accordance with the requirements provided in its Annex V and collect and submit relevant urban mobility data to the Commission. As regards data collection and reporting requirements, the subsequent implementing act will set out the list of sustainable urban mobility indicators and their calculation methodology. After adoption, these will be the only binding SUMP-related requirements at EU level. National SUMP support programmes will offer expertise to urban nodes on the TEN-T network to help them meet these requirements. |
| --- | --- |

(6)

The revised Regulation on Union guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) (8) proposes that urban nodes on the TEN-T network adopt a SUMP in accordance with the requirements provided in its Annex V and collect and submit relevant urban mobility data to the Commission. As regards data collection and reporting requirements, the subsequent implementing act will set out the list of sustainable urban mobility indicators and their calculation methodology. After adoption, these will be the only binding SUMP-related requirements at EU level. National SUMP support programmes will offer expertise to urban nodes on the TEN-T network to help them meet these requirements.

| (7) | Cities face challenges monitoring progress of their sustainable urban mobility measures using indicators. Collecting data requires administrative and financial resources and cities often have difficulty accessing available data held by national and regional authorities and other bodies. Data collection sharing and use should be facilitated by Member States through central access points and decentralised data spaces. This will help cities improve their monitoring systems in the coming years. |
| --- | --- |

(7)

Cities face challenges monitoring progress of their sustainable urban mobility measures using indicators. Collecting data requires administrative and financial resources and cities often have difficulty accessing available data held by national and regional authorities and other bodies. Data collection sharing and use should be facilitated by Member States through central access points and decentralised data spaces. This will help cities improve their monitoring systems in the coming years.

| (8) | A compendium of non-binding SUMP guidance (9) and reference materials, developed as part of EU co-funded projects, is also available to all cities to support them in preparing and implementing their individual SUMPs. Cities are invited to use this pool of information as appropriate for their own needs. The Commission expert group on urban mobility (10) should help complement and streamline the compendium of non-binding SUMP guidance. |
| --- | --- |

(8)

A compendium of non-binding SUMP guidance (9) and reference materials, developed as part of EU co-funded projects, is also available to all cities to support them in preparing and implementing their individual SUMPs. Cities are invited to use this pool of information as appropriate for their own needs. The Commission expert group on urban mobility (10) should help complement and streamline the compendium of non-binding SUMP guidance.

| (9) | Member States should support cities to prepare SUMPs with the aim of helping them to improve the quality of their SUMPs and better align these plans with the EU framework. |
| --- | --- |

(9)

Member States should support cities to prepare SUMPs with the aim of helping them to improve the quality of their SUMPs and better align these plans with the EU framework.

| (10) | Cities remain ultimately responsible for developing, adopting and implementing their SUMPs, as well as for implementing the measures in them, |
| --- | --- |

(10)

Cities remain ultimately responsible for developing, adopting and implementing their SUMPs, as well as for implementing the measures in them,

HAS ADOPTED THIS RECOMMENDATION:

1.   PURPOSE AND SCOPE

1.1.   Introduction

The 2013 Urban Mobility Package introduced the concept of SUMPs (11) as the cornerstone for a framework for towns, cities and regions to address urban mobility policy challenges. The SUMP concept needs updating to reflect new EU strategies and integrate new policy priorities. This is set out in the Annex to the current recommendation as the SUMP concept.

Based on the SUMP concept, the SUMP guidelines give cities advice on a process for preparing and implementing their SUMPs.

Over the past decade, the concept has been promoted by the Commission and widely used by many cities across the EU on a voluntary basis for planning their transition to attractive, inclusive and sustainable urban mobility.

Cities applying the SUMP concept have found it to be an effective, comprehensive and flexible tool, going beyond the administrative boundaries of cities to cover the entire ‘functional urban area’, taking into account hinterland linkages and commuter flows and urban-rural linkages.

The Commission Staff Working Document of the New EU Urban Mobility Framework (12) highlighted that SUMPs are a consistent long-term planning framework, involving all relevant parties. The concept’s resilience was demonstrated in particular during the COVID-19 pandemic, as many cities with a SUMP were able to quickly and efficiently adapt their mobility policies. They were subsequently able to make changes to their mobility systems more easily than those without comparable plans. In many cases, emergency and resilience procedures had already been described in the existing SUMPs.

However, the evaluation of the 2013 Urban Mobility Package identified as a major shortcoming the uneven uptake of SUMPs across Member States. Many towns and cities still do not have a SUMP and the quality of the SUMPs that do exist varies significantly. There is also a clear imbalance between Member States regarding the overall coverage of cities with SUMPs.

This Recommendation is therefore addressed to Member States.

1.2.   Need for action at Member State level

Based on vast experience using the SUMP concept since 2013, the evaluation of the 2013 Urban Mobility Package has shown that capacity and expertise, especially in small and medium-sized cities, remain an issue, as well as the lack of national involvement and support.

This points to a general need for ensuring consistency with the SUMP concept and coordinating the various activities undertaken by cities and urban areas to prepare, implement and monitor their mobility plans.

As the New EU Urban Mobility Framework points out, there is a need to strengthen governance and ownership at the national level, to establish a support framework to align SUMPs more closely with the SUMP concept, taking into account local circumstances, planning practices and institutional set-ups, in line with the principle of subsidiarity.

1.3.   Link to the TEN-T

The proposal for the revised TEN-T Regulation (13) includes strengthening the role of cities as vital nodes for sustainable, safe, efficient and multimodal transport throughout Europe and beyond. In order to allow the effective functioning of the TEN-T network, the Commission proposed that by 31 December 2025, Member States ensure that urban nodes on the TEN-T network adopt a SUMP and collect relevant urban mobility data.

Urban nodes should take into account the impact of various urban mobility measures on traffic flows, both passenger and freight, along the TEN-T network. Measures should aim to ensure seamless transit through, bypass of, or interconnection through urban nodes, including of zero-emission vehicles. Measures should help alleviate congestion, increase of the modal share of public transport and of active modes, improve road safety and remove bottlenecks affecting the traffic flows on the TEN-T network.

This Recommendation therefore also aims to provide additional support for Member States and cities on how to prepare for fulfilling the proposed urban nodes requirements.

This recommendation is without prejudice to the future adoption of a revised TEN-T Regulation based on the above-mentioned proposal and any obligations on SUMP contained therein.

1.4.   Coordination at local level for synergies between sectoral and spatial planning approaches

The development of SUMPs requires an integrated approach which address two dimensions: the integration of urban mobility into the network planning of a transport system (‘network approach’) and the integration into a cross-sectoral strategy for sustainable urban development (‘place-based approach’).

Transport is a vital part of an efficient and effective approach to integrated spatial planning approach at urban/local level. SUMPs should therefore be prepared and implemented in close coordination with local and regional mobility plans, spatial plans and relevant sectoral plans. Besides better aligning SUMPs with sectoral policy objectives, this also reduces the administrative burden for local authorities.

Member States should ensure the compatibility of and coherence between sectoral policy targets and urban mobility planning by

| — | supporting cities turn European and national targets into local urban policies, strategies and planning documents, such as SUMPs, Sustainable Urban Logistics Plans, Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans, Climate Contracts, and Green City Accords; |
| --- | --- |

—

supporting cities turn European and national targets into local urban policies, strategies and planning documents, such as SUMPs, Sustainable Urban Logistics Plans, Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans, Climate Contracts, and Green City Accords;

| — | addressing the needs and specificities of cities and urban areas in overarching national or regional strategies and planning documents, such as national and regional transport plans, national policy frameworks for the deployment of alternative fuel infrastructure, national energy and climate plans, public health strategies; sustainable urban development strategies; |
| --- | --- |

—

addressing the needs and specificities of cities and urban areas in overarching national or regional strategies and planning documents, such as national and regional transport plans, national policy frameworks for the deployment of alternative fuel infrastructure, national energy and climate plans, public health strategies; sustainable urban development strategies;

| — | addressing the needs and specificities of cities and urban areas in national actions on European and international commitments, such as the European Semester and TEN-T Core Network Corridor work plans. |
| --- | --- |

—

addressing the needs and specificities of cities and urban areas in national actions on European and international commitments, such as the European Semester and TEN-T Core Network Corridor work plans.

2.   NATIONAL SUMP SUPPORT PROGRAMME

2.1.   Objectives

The Commission calls on each Member State to put in place a national SUMP support programme aimed at supporting cities, strengthening governance and increasing nationwide coordination, planning and ensuring the uptake of sustainable urban mobility policies, and improving coordination among regions, cities and towns, and between urban and rural areas.

2.2.   Programme scope

National SUMP support programmes should include measures to:

| — | develop national guidance for urban mobility planning based on the updated SUMP concept, presented in the Annex to the current Commission Recommendation, and taking into account the SUMP Guidelines (14), addressing passenger mobility, freight transport and logistics in an integrated way; |
| --- | --- |

—

develop national guidance for urban mobility planning based on the updated SUMP concept, presented in the Annex to the current Commission Recommendation, and taking into account the SUMP Guidelines (14), addressing passenger mobility, freight transport and logistics in an integrated way;

| — | provide technical assistance and expert support; |
| --- | --- |

—

provide technical assistance and expert support;

| — | develop a national approach to preparing and implementing SUMPs across cities, in cooperation with peri-urban and rural areas around the city, covering the whole functional urban area (city and its commuting zone); |
| --- | --- |

—

develop a national approach to preparing and implementing SUMPs across cities, in cooperation with peri-urban and rural areas around the city, covering the whole functional urban area (city and its commuting zone);

| — | animate the national network of regions, cities and towns to foster peer learning and share good practice, including the EU outermost regions and other remote areas, insular, peripheral and sparsely populated areas; |
| --- | --- |

—

animate the national network of regions, cities and towns to foster peer learning and share good practice, including the EU outermost regions and other remote areas, insular, peripheral and sparsely populated areas;

| — | implement a training programme for cities, including capacity building; |
| --- | --- |

—

implement a training programme for cities, including capacity building;

| — | provide financial support to cities for recruiting and retaining administrative capacity and hiring temporary expert support; |
| --- | --- |

—

provide financial support to cities for recruiting and retaining administrative capacity and hiring temporary expert support;

| — | organise and coordinate communication campaigns and activities related to SUMPs; |
| --- | --- |

—

organise and coordinate communication campaigns and activities related to SUMPs;

| — | raise awareness of the information and guidance published on the European Urban Mobility Observatory portal (15); |
| --- | --- |

—

raise awareness of the information and guidance published on the European Urban Mobility Observatory portal (15);

| — | review and advise on how to improve the quality of SUMPs in alignment with the SUMP concept; this will facilitate the development of SUMPs where required as a condition for public or private funding; |
| --- | --- |

—

review and advise on how to improve the quality of SUMPs in alignment with the SUMP concept; this will facilitate the development of SUMPs where required as a condition for public or private funding;

| — | screen the national legislative framework for obstacles to developing effective SUMPs in cities |
| --- | --- |

—

screen the national legislative framework for obstacles to developing effective SUMPs in cities

| — | help relevant authorities improve coordination in the provision of transport infrastructure and services in the functional urban area; |
| --- | --- |

—

help relevant authorities improve coordination in the provision of transport infrastructure and services in the functional urban area;

| — | help local authorities integrate and improve coordination between SUMPs and spatial planning, and improve alignment and synergies with Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans, Sustainable Urban Logistics Plans, and other relevant plans; |
| --- | --- |

—

help local authorities integrate and improve coordination between SUMPs and spatial planning, and improve alignment and synergies with Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans, Sustainable Urban Logistics Plans, and other relevant plans;

| — | reinforce monitoring of SUMP implementation, by putting in place mechanisms to measure progress towards achieving the goals and objectives of the SUMPs; |
| --- | --- |

—

reinforce monitoring of SUMP implementation, by putting in place mechanisms to measure progress towards achieving the goals and objectives of the SUMPs;

| — | calculate sustainable urban mobility indicators, following the Commission’s methodology (16), coordinate and support data collection and facilitate access to, sharing and use of national, regional or private data needed to calculate urban mobility indicators; |
| --- | --- |

—

calculate sustainable urban mobility indicators, following the Commission’s methodology (16), coordinate and support data collection and facilitate access to, sharing and use of national, regional or private data needed to calculate urban mobility indicators;

| — | monitor progress towards achieving sectoral policy objectives, including decarbonisation and road safety; support cities in developing disaggregated data-gathering mechanisms, including by gender; |
| --- | --- |

—

monitor progress towards achieving sectoral policy objectives, including decarbonisation and road safety; support cities in developing disaggregated data-gathering mechanisms, including by gender;

| — | regularly update the sections on cities and national plans of the European Urban Mobility Observatory portal; |
| --- | --- |

—

regularly update the sections on cities and national plans of the European Urban Mobility Observatory portal;

| — | support the implementation of urban mobility aspects of the Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities. |
| --- | --- |

—

support the implementation of urban mobility aspects of the Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities.

The scope of the support programme should be determined in cooperation with the cities and regions and regularly reviewed based on their needs and the feedback received from them.

2.3.   Funding and quality assurance

SUMPs are an effective framework for planning and carrying out public or private urban mobility investments.

Member States should take measures to inform and support on funding opportunities, to improve the quality of SUMPs and align them more closely with the SUMP concept.

There is a wide range of European, national and regional funding and financing tools that can support SUMP processes, such as:

| — | the Connecting Europe Facility; |
| --- | --- |

—

the Connecting Europe Facility;

| — | the European Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund, including Interreg and URBACT; |
| --- | --- |

—

the European Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund, including Interreg and URBACT;

| — | Horizon Europe, including the Missions and CIVITAS actions; |
| --- | --- |

—

Horizon Europe, including the Missions and CIVITAS actions;

| — | Invest EU, the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) and REPowerEU; |
| --- | --- |

—

Invest EU, the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) and REPowerEU;

| — | the Digital Europe Programme; |
| --- | --- |

—

the Digital Europe Programme;

| — | Just Transition; |
| --- | --- |

—

Just Transition;

| — | the Innovation Fund; |
| --- | --- |

—

the Innovation Fund;

| — | the Technical Support Instrument that provides tailor-made technical expertise to EU Member States; |
| --- | --- |

—

the Technical Support Instrument that provides tailor-made technical expertise to EU Member States;

| — | national schemes; |
| --- | --- |

—

national schemes;

| — | private financing (e.g. green bonds). |
| --- | --- |

—

private financing (e.g. green bonds).

Moreover, the EIT Knowledge and Innovation Community on Urban Mobility offers support to Member States, regions and cities in the implementation of their SUMPs.

2.4.   SUMP programme management at national level

Member States should designate a national SUMP programme management office as a focal point for SUMP matters relating to cities and urban areas. These should be set up in cooperation with national, regional and local authorities.

The offices should have the relevant technical expertise and legal, financial and human resources to develop and implement the national SUMP support programme.

They should be neutral and transparent and involve regions and cities and rural areas in their work. They should be advised by an expert group of representatives from relevant ministries, regions, cities, rural areas, academia and other relevant urban mobility stakeholders.

This expert group could be instrumental in designing and assessing the national SUMP support programme, endorsing national SUMP guidance documents and serving as an independent expert forum to help ensure that European and national SUMP guidance are properly implemented. Member States should build on existing support schemes for cities. Programme management offices should bring together existing schemes implemented at sub-national and regional level to ensure a coordinated approach, including the particular constraints of remote and peripheral areas and outermost regions.

The offices could be located in a ministry, agency or specialised body, depending on the administrative set-up of the Member State. Regional offices could complement national ones, in particular in larger or federal Member States.

In line with the subsidiarity principle, cities should remain ultimately responsible for developing, adopting and implementing their SUMPs.

2.5.   Interaction of national programme management offices with the European Commission

National programme management offices should act as Member States’ main point of contact with the Commission for exchanges and coordination with regard to SUMP support services.

Supporting SUMP implementation is one of the main tasks of the expert group on urban mobility (EGUM), established following the adoption of the New EU Urban Mobility Framework, where representatives from Member States, regions, cities and other stakeholders gather to discuss EU urban mobility policy, including in relation to SUMPs. National programme management offices should therefore coordinate closely with their Member States’ representatives in the expert group and actively contribute to the group.

2.6.   Informing the European Commission on actions

Member States are invited to inform the Commission of actions taken annually in the light of this Recommendation. The information should be transmitted for the first time 1 year after this Recommendation is adopted.

Information transmitted should include:

| — | the national SUMP support programme; |
| --- | --- |

—

the national SUMP support programme;

| — | contact details of the national SUMP programme management office; |
| --- | --- |

—

contact details of the national SUMP programme management office;

| — | work plan of the national SUMP support programme office; |
| --- | --- |

—

work plan of the national SUMP support programme office;

| — | a summary of the annual reports on the implementation of the work plan (including quantified progress on KPIs, key milestones and possible issues identified as well as envisaged mitigation actions) and the lessons learnt. |
| --- | --- |

—

a summary of the annual reports on the implementation of the work plan (including quantified progress on KPIs, key milestones and possible issues identified as well as envisaged mitigation actions) and the lessons learnt.

3.   ADDRESSEES

This Recommendation is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 8 March 2023.

For the Commission

Adina VĂLEAN

Member of the Commission

---

(1)  COM(2019) 640 final.

1

(2)  COM(2020) 789 final.

2

(3)  COM(2021) 811 final.

3

(4)  Directive (EU) 2019/1161 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 amending Directive 2009/33/EC on the promotion of clean and energy-efficient road transport vehicles (OJ L 188, 12.7.2019, p. 116).

4

(5)  COM(2021) 345 final.

5

(6)  COM (2013) 913 final.

6

(7)  Special report 06/2020: Sustainable Urban Mobility in the EU: No substantial improvement is possible without Member States’ commitment

7

(8)  COM(2021) 812 final.

8

(9)  SUMP guidance consists of the SUMP Guidelines for developing and implementing a SUMP and additional reference material, available on the ELTIS Urban Mobility Observatory portal; https://www.eltis.org/mobility-plans/topic-guides

9

(10)  Commission Decision C(2022) 5320 of 28 July 2022 setting up the Commission expert group on urban mobility; Expert Group on Urban Mobility.

10

(11)  See Annex to Communication from the Commission of 17.12.2013
  Together towards competitive and resource-efficient urban mobility, COM(2013) 913 final.

11

Together towards competitive and resource-efficient urban mobility

(12)  COM(2021) 811 final.

12

(13)  Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on Union guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network, COM(2021) 812 final.

13

(14)  SUMP Guidelines for developing and implementing SUMPs, available on the ELTIS Urban Mobility Observatory portal; https://www.eltis.org/mobility-plans/sump-guidelines

14

(15)  https://www.eltis.org/mobility-plans/topic-guides

15

(16)  https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-themes/clean-transport-urban-transport/sumi_en

16

---

ANNEX

Updated concept for sustainable urban mobility plans

1.   INTRODUCTION

A sustainable urban mobility plan (SUMP) is a strategic plan designed to satisfy the mobility needs of people and businesses in cities and their surroundings for a better quality of life. It is a single framework for tackling all common urban mobility challenges for the entire functional urban area. A SUMP offers a comprehensive, vision-led, flexible and resilient approach by serving as a long-term mobility plan that includes packages of measures addressing short-term objectives and targets the reaching of which can be fast-tracked in response to changing needs.

Since 2013 the Commission has been encouraging the widespread uptake of SUMPs as the bedrock of its urban mobility policy. This reflects a SUMP’s potential to help towns, cities and regions address common challenges in their transition towards sustainable urban mobility, and to ensure a better quality of life. The 2013 Urban Mobility Package (1) called on local authorities to place SUMPs at the centre of their approach to addressing urban mobility issues. Related EU guidelines were published to support local authorities throughout the SUMP process.

Over the past few years, a vast amount of advice and guidance has been developed with the urban mobility planning community, and a subsequent set of complementary guidance documents on specific aspects related to SUMPs has been made available to cities and stakeholders in the EU Urban Mobility Observatory (2). There is also a self-assessment tool to help cities understand the strengths and weaknesses of their SUMPs (3).

The original SUMP concept (4) emerged in the 2013 Urban Mobility Package and consisted of eight main guiding principles. The current SUMP concept retains them while updating what needs to be updated.

1.1.   Context

In accordance with the New Leipzig Charter (5), Cities need to establish integrated and sustainable urban development strategies and assure their implementation for the city as a whole, from its functional areas to its neighbourhoods.

Sustainable urban mobility planning is therefore crucial for effective and sustainable mobility in cities, including the TEN-T urban nodes, as well as being important for the overall functioning of the network and ensuring contingency and resilience in the event of major challenges.

It is proposed that urban nodes fulfil the essential SUMP-related requirements in Annex V to the Commission’s proposal for a revised TEN-T Regulation (6). This concept is without prejudice to any binding obligations for urban nodes concerning the adoption of SUMPs and their content laid down in the future revised TEN-T Regulation. While building on these proposed requirements, this concept gives more information and sets out the recommended components required to develop a SUMP whether a city is an urban node or not.

1.2.   Reasons for updating the SUMP concept

Taking into account the major developments of the past few years and the practical experience acquired over the last decade from implementing the concept, there is now an opportunity to update it, so that SUMPs can contribute more effectively to delivering on the EU’s increasingly ambitious transport, climate, health and societal objectives and commitments.

The current policy lines are set out, in particular, in the European Green Deal (7), the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy (8), and the New EU Urban Mobility Framework (9). In the Fit for 55 package (10) and the Green and Efficient Mobility and the REPowerEU packages (11), the Commission recently put forward relevant legislative proposals. Most importantly, the SUMP concept needs to better incorporate climate and energy aspects while addressing safety, inclusiveness and accessibility as well as the freight transport and logistics aspects of local transport.

More specifically, the New EU Urban Mobility Framework says that the upgraded SUMP concept should make it clear that the priority is to favour sustainable solutions including active, collective and public transport and shared mobility (including for urban-rural linkages), fully integrating resilience aspects as well as sustainable urban logistics plans (SULP), based on zero-emission vehicles and solutions. It should be further complemented, anticipating the need for specific indicators and requirements on SUMPs for the TEN-T urban nodes (12).

Finally, planning tools in the areas of mobility, energy, sustainability and land use need to complement each other more. This way, the revised concept will also create closer links between SUMPs and other relevant urban plans covering energy and climate, in particular Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAP).

2.   A CONCEPT FOR SUMPs

This concept presents a recommended approach to SUMPs for urban areas irrespective of their size. A SUMP should be developed and implemented in accordance with the following guiding principles.

2.1.   Clear and measurable goals and objectives

A SUMP’s main aim is to make the functional urban area (13) it is intended for more accessible and to provide high-quality, safe and sustainable low-emission mobility to, through and in that area. It should in particular support zero-emission mobility and the implementation of an urban transport system that contributes to better overall performance of the transport network, in particular through the development of infrastructure for the seamless circulation of zero-emission vehicles and multimodal passenger hubs to facilitate first- and last-mile connections, and of multimodal freight terminals serving urban areas.

A SUMP should therefore include specific goals and objectives to support the development of an urban transport system that:

| — | is safe, accessible, affordable and inclusive for all users, including disadvantaged groups and people with disabilities or reduced mobility, and that takes into account the gender perspective and demographic change; |
| --- | --- |

—

is safe, accessible, affordable and inclusive for all users, including disadvantaged groups and people with disabilities or reduced mobility, and that takes into account the gender perspective and demographic change;

| — | serves all users’ mobility needs, including cycling and walking, urban logistics, long-distance freight and passenger flows on the TEN-T network, as well as flows from peri-urban and rural areas around a city, covering the whole functional urban area (the city and its commuting zone); |
| --- | --- |

—

serves all users’ mobility needs, including cycling and walking, urban logistics, long-distance freight and passenger flows on the TEN-T network, as well as flows from peri-urban and rural areas around a city, covering the whole functional urban area (the city and its commuting zone);

| — | meets sustainability, climate protection and resilience requirements, balancing the need to ensure economic viability, social equity and the protection of health and environment; |
| --- | --- |

—

meets sustainability, climate protection and resilience requirements, balancing the need to ensure economic viability, social equity and the protection of health and environment;

| — | optimises the efficiency of urban mobility systems, taking into account cost-effectiveness as well as the transport externalities of different modes linked, in particular, to congestion, air and noise pollutants, CO2 emissions, traffic fatalities and injuries, and their impact on biodiversity; |
| --- | --- |

—

optimises the efficiency of urban mobility systems, taking into account cost-effectiveness as well as the transport externalities of different modes linked, in particular, to congestion, air and noise pollutants, CO2 emissions, traffic fatalities and injuries, and their impact on biodiversity;

| — | contributes to making the urban environment more attractive, including by better sharing of public space; |
| --- | --- |

—

contributes to making the urban environment more attractive, including by better sharing of public space;

| — | increases quality of life and benefits public health, taking into account the UN Sustainable Development Goals (14), and ensures that urban transport infrastructure and services are safe, secure and comfortable for all, including for vulnerable groups in society and women; |
| --- | --- |

—

increases quality of life and benefits public health, taking into account the UN Sustainable Development Goals (14), and ensures that urban transport infrastructure and services are safe, secure and comfortable for all, including for vulnerable groups in society and women;

| — | improves traffic safety and security, particularly for active and vulnerable road users (e.g. pedestrians, cyclists, older people, children, people with disabilities and reduced mobility), services and public spaces, striving to achieve Vision Zero (15) in urban road safety in line with the Valetta Declaration (16); |
| --- | --- |

—

improves traffic safety and security, particularly for active and vulnerable road users (e.g. pedestrians, cyclists, older people, children, people with disabilities and reduced mobility), services and public spaces, striving to achieve Vision Zero (15) in urban road safety in line with the Valetta Declaration (16);

| — | reduces all sources of transport pollution, such as air, noise, particulate and microplastic, as well as greenhouse gas emissions from transport, as well as increases its energy efficiency, aiming for zero-emission urban mobility in line with the European Green Deal goals, the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy (17), the Zero Pollution Action Plan (18) and the Climate Law, taking into account national energy and climate plans, Air Quality Plans and local Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans; |
| --- | --- |

—

reduces all sources of transport pollution, such as air, noise, particulate and microplastic, as well as greenhouse gas emissions from transport, as well as increases its energy efficiency, aiming for zero-emission urban mobility in line with the European Green Deal goals, the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy (17), the Zero Pollution Action Plan (18) and the Climate Law, taking into account national energy and climate plans, Air Quality Plans and local Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans;

| — | contributes to better connectivity and overall performance of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), and Europe’s transport system as a whole, for both passengers and goods. |
| --- | --- |

—

contributes to better connectivity and overall performance of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), and Europe’s transport system as a whole, for both passengers and goods.

2.2.   Long-term vision and a clear implementation plan

A SUMP presents, or is linked to an existing, long-term strategy for the future development of the functional urban area and, in this context, for the future development of transport infrastructure and multimodal mobility services. It also includes a delivery plan for the strategy’s short-term implementation. It should be incorporated into an integrated approach to sustainable urban development and linked to relevant land use, spatial planning and sectoral policy planning (e.g. for climate and energy).

A SUMP should therefore contain the following:

| — | a timetable and budget plan, with sources for the necessary funding properly identified; the delivery plan should ideally cover 3-10 years; |
| --- | --- |

—

a timetable and budget plan, with sources for the necessary funding properly identified; the delivery plan should ideally cover 3-10 years;

| — | clearly defined responsibilities and resources, including identified resources required for each actor. |
| --- | --- |

—

clearly defined responsibilities and resources, including identified resources required for each actor.

2.3.   Assessment of current and future performance

A SUMP should be based on a careful assessment of the present and future performance of the urban transport system and supported by a comprehensive monitoring system, covering the following:

| — | a status analysis, baseline and final scenario, starting with a comprehensive review of the current situation and the establishment of a baseline against which future progress can be measured; it should also include an assessment of the impact of the proposed measures; |
| --- | --- |

—

a status analysis, baseline and final scenario, starting with a comprehensive review of the current situation and the establishment of a baseline against which future progress can be measured; it should also include an assessment of the impact of the proposed measures;

| — | specific objectives and targets: a SUMP should identify specific and realistic performance objectives that are linked with to the status analysis and are ambitious in terms of a SUMP’s goal and general objectives. It should also set measurable targets where appropriate, based on a realistic assessment of the baseline and available resources and reflecting the specific objectives; |
| --- | --- |

—

specific objectives and targets: a SUMP should identify specific and realistic performance objectives that are linked with to the status analysis and are ambitious in terms of a SUMP’s goal and general objectives. It should also set measurable targets where appropriate, based on a realistic assessment of the baseline and available resources and reflecting the specific objectives;

| — | performance indicators, preferably based on the Sustainable Urban Mobility Indicators (SUMI (19)), to describe the current status of the urban transport system and monitor progress towards achieving the set objectives. |
| --- | --- |

—

performance indicators, preferably based on the Sustainable Urban Mobility Indicators (SUMI (19)), to describe the current status of the urban transport system and monitor progress towards achieving the set objectives.

2.4.   Integrated development of all modes of transport while prioritising the most sustainable ones

A SUMP should promote multimodal transport through the integration of the different modes and measures aimed at facilitating seamless and sustainable mobility. It should include actions to increase the modal share of more sustainable forms of transport such as public transport, active mobility, shared mobility (20), zero-emission urban logistics and, as appropriate, inland waterway and maritime transport.

It should also include actions to promote zero-emission mobility, in particular with regard to the greening of the urban fleet, to reduce congestion and to improve road safety, in particular of vulnerable road users.

The plan puts forward an integrated set of technical, infrastructural, policy-based and soft measures to improve performance and cost-effectiveness with regard to the stated goals and specific objectives.

A SUMP should therefore cover the following:

| — | public and collective transport services as well as shared mobility, with a dedicated strategy aiming to improve their quality, coverage, security, integration and accessibility; |
| --- | --- |

—

public and collective transport services as well as shared mobility, with a dedicated strategy aiming to improve their quality, coverage, security, integration and accessibility;

| — | non-motorised transport, with a plan to make walking, cycling and micromobility more attractive, safer and more secure, striving for a comprehensive and high-quality network; |
| --- | --- |

—

non-motorised transport, with a plan to make walking, cycling and micromobility more attractive, safer and more secure, striving for a comprehensive and high-quality network;

| — | multimodality, to better integrate the different modes of transport for both passengers and goods; |
| --- | --- |

—

multimodality, to better integrate the different modes of transport for both passengers and goods;

| — | urban road safety, aiming to achieve Vision Zero in relation to fatalities and serious injuries, in particular of vulnerable road users including pedestrians and cyclists. |
| --- | --- |

—

urban road safety, aiming to achieve Vision Zero in relation to fatalities and serious injuries, in particular of vulnerable road users including pedestrians and cyclists.

| — | reducing congestion and optimising the use of infrastructure linked to parking management measures, including optimising charging infrastructure, exploring the potential for reallocating road and urban space to non-motorised modes or non-transport uses; |
| --- | --- |

—

reducing congestion and optimising the use of infrastructure linked to parking management measures, including optimising charging infrastructure, exploring the potential for reallocating road and urban space to non-motorised modes or non-transport uses;

| — | urban logistics including home deliveries and management of commercial vehicles fleet (e.g. taxis), with measures to improve efficiency while reducing externalities such as greenhouse gas emissions, pollutants, noise and congestion (a SUMP and any specific sustainable urban logistics plan should be aligned with each other in an integrated way); |
| --- | --- |

—

urban logistics including home deliveries and management of commercial vehicles fleet (e.g. taxis), with measures to improve efficiency while reducing externalities such as greenhouse gas emissions, pollutants, noise and congestion (a SUMP and any specific sustainable urban logistics plan should be aligned with each other in an integrated way);

| — | mobility management plans, with actions aimed at effecting a change towards more sustainable mobility patterns for commuters, consumers and students (including those coming from surrounding peri-urban and rural areas) in sectors such as employment, education, health, retail and tourism/events; |
| --- | --- |

—

mobility management plans, with actions aimed at effecting a change towards more sustainable mobility patterns for commuters, consumers and students (including those coming from surrounding peri-urban and rural areas) in sectors such as employment, education, health, retail and tourism/events;

| — | digitalisation, including intelligent transport systems (ITS), such as multimodal digital mobility services facilitating the ability to access information, book, pay journey and retrieve tickets in all modes, and the gathering of data (for example, from private operators, big data, artificial intelligence, digital twins, internet of things etc.), in order to support the preparation, implementation and monitoring of the measures included in a SUMP. |
| --- | --- |

—

digitalisation, including intelligent transport systems (ITS), such as multimodal digital mobility services facilitating the ability to access information, book, pay journey and retrieve tickets in all modes, and the gathering of data (for example, from private operators, big data, artificial intelligence, digital twins, internet of things etc.), in order to support the preparation, implementation and monitoring of the measures included in a SUMP.

2.5.   Integrated approach to passenger mobility and urban freight transport and logistics

Urban logistics, as well as links to long-distance freight transport, should be fully considered and integrated into a SUMP to ensure a systematic approach to all aspects of a city’s mobility and to achieve the objective of zero-emission urban logistics and last-mile deliveries. Specific urban logistics matters could be addressed in a dedicated and aligned sustainable urban logistics plan.

For the relevant urban areas, a SUMP should duly take into account the impact of various urban measures on passenger and freight traffic flows and the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), to ensure seamless transit through, bypass of, or interconnection through and around urban nodes, including of zero-emission vehicles. It should in particular include actions to alleviate congestion, improve road safety and remove bottlenecks affecting TEN-T traffic flows.

2.6.   Participatory approach and coordination with other relevant initiatives

The development and implementation of a SUMP should be based on an integrated and participatory approach, with a high level of cooperation, coordination and consultation between the different levels of government and relevant authorities. The general public, representatives of civil society and economic actors should also be involved.

To this end, local planning authorities should put in place appropriate structures and procedures.

This process should entail in particular:

| — | the proper involvement of relevant actors in the functional urban area, such as residents, representatives of civil society organisations and economic actors, in developing and implementing the plan from the outset and throughout the process to ensure a high level of acceptance and support; |
| --- | --- |

—

the proper involvement of relevant actors in the functional urban area, such as residents, representatives of civil society organisations and economic actors, in developing and implementing the plan from the outset and throughout the process to ensure a high level of acceptance and support;

| — | interdepartmental consultation and cooperation at local and regional level to ensure consistency and complementarity with local and regional policies, strategies and measures, in particular those concerning land use and spatial planning; Urban Greening Plans (21), energy; health; education; social services; law enforcement and policing; |
| --- | --- |

—

interdepartmental consultation and cooperation at local and regional level to ensure consistency and complementarity with local and regional policies, strategies and measures, in particular those concerning land use and spatial planning; Urban Greening Plans (21), energy; health; education; social services; law enforcement and policing;

| — | close exchange with relevant authorities responsible for providing transport infrastructure and services in the functional urban area (neighbouring urban, peri-urban and rural areas) and at different levels of administration and government. |
| --- | --- |

—

close exchange with relevant authorities responsible for providing transport infrastructure and services in the functional urban area (neighbouring urban, peri-urban and rural areas) and at different levels of administration and government.

2.7.   Monitoring, review, reporting and quality assurance

A SUMP should include objectives, targets and indicators underpinning current and future performance of urban transport systems, at the very least for greenhouse gas emissions, congestion, road deaths and serious injuries, modal share and access to mobility services, as well as data on air and noise pollution in cities. The implementation of a SUMP should be monitored using these performance indicators.

In particular, local authorities should put in place mechanisms to monitor progress towards achieving the objectives of their SUMP and take timely corrective action when needed. Member States should support cities in this task and ensure a SUMP’s quality and its compliance with the requirements of the SUMP concept, in line with the Commission Recommendation on national SUMP support programmes.

Progress towards achieving the goal and specific objectives of a SUMP and reaching the targets in it should be assessed regularly using selected result indicators (22). Appropriate action should be taken to ensure timely access to relevant data and statistics. A monitoring report should provide the basis for a review of the SUMP’s implementation.

To Support monitoring, the use of predictions should be encouraged to anticipate future needs and challenges. Such prediction can be supported by digital tools such as local Digital Twins.

2.8.   Guidance and support at European level

The European Commission will continue to provide information on SUMPs through the European Local Transport Information Service – the European Mobility Observatory (23). This information includes the process-related SUMP Guidelines and reference material on specific aspects of SUMPs (24).

The Commission expert group on urban mobility (25), established following the adoption of the New EU Urban Mobility Framework, will help to complement and streamline this material.

---

(1)  COM(2013) 913 final

(2)  https://www.eltis.org/mobility-plans/sump-guidelines

(3)  https://www.eltis.org/resources/tools/sump-self-assessment-tool

(4)  Annex 1 to the Commission Communication Together towards competitive and resource-efficient urban mobility (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar%3A82155e82-67ca-11e3-a7e4-01aa75ed71a1.0011.02/DOC_4&format=PDF).

(5)  https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/brochure/new_leipzig_charter/new_leipzig_charter_en.pdf

(6)  COM(2021) 812/2.

(7)  COM(2019) 640 final.

(8)  COM(2020) 789 final.

(9)  COM(2020) 811 final.

(10)  COM(2021) 550 final.

(11)  COM(2022) 230 final.

(12)  Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on Union guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network, COM(2021) 812 final.

(13)  https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Glossary:Functional_urban_area#:~:text=Short%20definition%3A%20a%20functional%20urban,city%20(OECD%2C%202012)

(14)  https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development-goals

(15)  https://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/strategies/news/2019-06-19-vision-zero_en

(16)  https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-9994-2017-INIT/en/pdf

(17)  COM(2020) 789 final.

(18)  https://environment.ec.europa.eu/strategy/zero-pollution-action-plan_en

(19)  https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-themes/clean-transport-urban-transport/sumi_en

(20)  Shared mobility refers in this document to shared use of transport modes, such as sharing of vehicles for rental (e.g. bikes, scooters, cars), ride-sharing/car-pooling (i.e. shared space within a vehicle) as well as transport-on-demand services (e.g. ride hailing services like taxis).

(21)  https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/urban-environment/urban-greening-platform_en

(22)  Such as the sustainable urban mobility indicators available at: https://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/urban/urban_mobility/sumi_en.

(23)  https://www.eltis.org/mobility-plans

(24)  https://www.eltis.org/mobility-plans/topic-guides; https://www.eltis.org/mobility-plans/practitioner-briefings

(25)  Group E03863 (https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/expert-groups-register/screen/expert-groups/consult?lang=en&groupID=3863).

---