COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS The New EU Urban Mobility Framework
Date: 2021-12-14
Institutions: Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, European Commission
Subjects: carbon neutrality, collaborative economy, intelligent transport system, motor vehicle pollution, public transport, road traffic, sustainable mobility, transport infrastructure, transport planning, urban transport

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Strasbourg, 14.12.2021  COM(2021) 811 final  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS The New EU Urban Mobility Framework           {SWD(2021) 470}  
 
 
1 

INTRODUCTION  

1.  Europe is one of the most urbanised regions in the world1, with a huge variety of towns and 
cities  that  are  important  hubs  of  economic  and  social  activity.  When  it  comes  to  urban 
planning and urban quality of life, European cities are often looked up to by the rest of the 
world as attractive places to visit, live, study, work and do business in, with mobility and 
transport  as  key  enablers.  As  main  connection  points,  cities  are  key  components  of  the 
trans-European transport network (TEN-T), the backbone of the Single European Transport 
Area  and  essential  for  a  well-functioning  single  market.  Many  European  cities  are  global 
frontrunners  when  it  comes  to  transport  innovation,  sustainable  urban  mobility  planning 
and the implementation of ambitious climate and road safety targets.  

2.  However,  cities  are  still  facing  major  challenges  to  further  improve  their  mobility  and 
transport system. At the same time, they still have to fully tackle the negative consequences 
of  transport  for  society,  health  and  environment,  namely  the  creation  of  greenhouse  gas 
emissions,  air  and  noise  pollution  as  well  as  congestion  and  road  fatalities.  Those 
challenges  –  as  well  as  the  vision  on  the  way  forward  –  have  been  highlighted  in  the 
European Green Deal2, the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy (SSMS)3, the Fit for 55 
package4, the Zero Pollution Action Plan5, and Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan6. 

3.  The Conference of Parties to the Paris Agreement in Glasgow (COP26) drew the spotlight 
on the implementation of international climate commitments, as the Union is doing with the 
European Green Deal. Urban mobility can make a major contribution, not just by reducing 
the sizeable  amount of greenhouse  gas emissions caused by it,  but also by  becoming less 
polluting, less  congesting  and safer. As  the Union’s  2030 Climate Target Plan7  confirms, 
the  deployment  of  zero-emission  vehicles  in  the  urban  context  will  only  deliver  a  part  of 
these  objectives.  A  clear  priority  should  be  placed  at  national  and  local  level  on  the 
development  of  public  transport,  walking  and  cycling,  as  well  as  connected,  shared 
mobility services.  

4.  Mobility  is  a  critical  aspect  of  social  inclusion  and  an  important  determinant  of  human 
well-being,  especially  for  disadvantaged  groups.  Transport,  recognised  as  an  essential 
service in the European Pillar of Social Rights, fulfils a basic need in enabling citizens to 
integrate  into  society  and  the  labour  market,  but  also  constitutes  a  significant  part  of 
household  expenditure.  Enhanced  connectivity  and  market  opening  has  contributed  to 
linking  transport  networks,  bringing  the  EU  together  and  making  it  more  tangible  and 
accessible for travellers. These objectives are also highlighted in the Commission proposal 
for  a  Council  Recommendation  on  ensuring  a  fair  transition  towards  climate  neutrality8, 

1 70.9% live in urban areas https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/-/edn-20200207-1  

2 COM (2019) 640 final 
3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52020DC0789  

4 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_21_3541  

5 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52021DC0400&qid=1623311742827  

6 https://ec.europa.eu/health/sites/default/files/non_communicable_diseases/docs/eu_cancer-plan_en.pdf/.  

It underlines the importance of linking transport and health. 

7 To cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030; https://ec.europa.eu/clima/eu-action/european-green-

deal/2030-climate-target-plan_en  

8 COM (2021)801  

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which provides a common framework and shared understanding of comprehensive policies 
and investments needed for ensuring the transition is fair, including transport. 

5.  On  the  one  hand,  the  COVID-19  pandemic  has  disrupted  mobility  and  transport.  On  the 
other  hand,  and  especially  in  cities,  the  pandemic  has  also  drove  cities  to  improve 
infrastructure for active mobility. Therefore, now it is more than needed to emerge from the 
crisis with a more resilient, smarter and more sustainable urban mobility system, which is 
also key to the overall resilience of the transport system and the economy. Addressing these 
challenges promises more sustainable urban nodes with a higher quality of life and better 
connectivity,  affordability  and  accessibility  of  mobility  services  for  urban  and  their 
surrounding  rural  areas.  To  achieve  the  major  transition  in  urban  mobility,  swift  and 
significant action and investment is needed at EU, national, regional and particularly local 
level. 

6.  The 2013 urban mobility package9 focused on catalysing joint local, national and European 
action to respond to these societal challenges. Its evaluation10 highlighted several issues, in 
particular the lack of an EU-wide uptake of sustainable urban mobility plans11 (SUMPs), a 
central element of the approach. Other issues included the lack of consistent collection of 
urban mobility data and the need for a better EU governance framework in which Member 
States,  regional  and  local  authorities  are  more  heavily  involved.  Support  should  be 
available to local authorities to better link cross-border transport strategies with sustainable 
urban  mobility  plans,  capacity  building  and  training,  and  better  urban  planning.  Stronger 
efforts  are  therefore  needed  if  European  towns  and  cities  are  to  succeed  in  reducing 
greenhouse gases and air pollutant emissions, congestion and road casualties. 

7.  The Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) relies on urban mobility for ‘first and last 
mile’ connections for both passengers and freight. Cities and regions need to play an even 
bigger role in the TEN-T of the future to improve mobility and transport flows. This can be 
achieved by ensuring that urban nodes function better in the overall framework and that the 
local authorities are better involved in the governance of the TEN-T.  

8.  Therefore, in order to contribute to the EU’s increasingly ambitious climate, environmental, 
digital, health and societal objectives, the EU needs to take more decisive action on urban 
mobility to shift from the current approach based on traffic flows to an approach based on 
moving  people  and  goods  more  sustainably.  This  means  a  stronger  collective  /  public 
transport backbone, better active mobility (e.g. walking, cycling) options and efficient zero-
emission urban logistics and last mile deliveries. While such multimodality should be our 
guiding principles for urban mobility, zero-emission and connected and automated mobility 
will be a key component of the transition to a climate-neutral urban future that also enables 
suburban and rural areas to connect sustainably with cities. Better management of transport 
and mobility using multimodal hubs and digital solutions is needed to increase system-wide 
efficiency. 

2  THE NEW EU FRAMEWORK FOR URBAN MOBILITY  

9.  The  transition  to  safe,  accessible,  inclusive,  smart,  resilient  and  zero-emission  urban 
mobility  requires  a  clear  focus  on  active,  collective  and  shared  mobility  underpinned  by 

9 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52021SC0047  

10 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52021SC0047 

11 See Annex of https://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:82155e82-67ca-11e3-a7e4-

01aa75ed71a1.0011.02/DOC_4&format=PDF and https://www.eltis.org/mobility-plans/sump-guidelines 

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low- and zero-emission solutions. It therefore calls for increased and accelerated action and 
new investments; and there has to be a particular focus on public transport, multimodality 
and  active  mobility  infrastructure.  This  is  to  be  achieved  by  strengthening  existing  tools 
and  complementing  them  with  new  ones.  Based  on  a  thorough  analysis,  a  new  EU 
framework for urban mobility is  being presented here to support Member States, regions, 
cities and other stakeholders in the necessary transformation.   

2.1  A reinforced approach to TEN-T urban nodes 

10. Cities  are  important  elements  of  a  well-functioning  TEN-T  network.  However,  network 
bottlenecks,  missing  links  and  poor  connections  remain  major  challenges  for  integrating 
urban nodes into the TEN-T network. 

Passengers 

11. The  importance  of  urban  nodes  is  not  just  for  the  people  who  live  in  towns  and  cities.  
Around one  third of the population  lives in villages,  small  towns and peri-urban areas  on 
the  outskirts  of  cities  and  is  often  dependent  on  private  cars  for  reaching  nearby  urban 
nodes to get to work or to school, to socialise, travel or shop. However, this in turn means 
that cities face continued congestion and pollution, with a high number of cars entering and 
leaving  every  day,  having  also  negative  repercussions  for  road  safety.  Equally,  public 
transport is facing challenges to cope with high demand during peak hours, and congested 
rail and road networks, trains, trams, buses and metros can face constraints that hinder not 
only the flow of traffic in the urban node but on the entire TEN-T network.  

12. The need for efficient and inclusive connectivity between rural, peri-urban and urban areas 
via  sustainable  mobility  options  has  been  acknowledged  at  EU  level12.  This  includes 
integrated  links  between  rural,  suburban  and  urban  areas  in  the  planning  of  the  TEN-T 
network  and  connections  between  these  areas  and  cities.  More  suitable  infrastructure  is 
needed to increase the share of public transport. This means, for example, multimodal hubs 
with  stations/stops  that  are  effectively  interconnected  with  urban  rail,  metro,  tram,  bus, 
coaches, shared mobility services and better and bigger park and ride facilities, and that are 
better  equipped  with  appropriate  bike  parks  and  publicly  accessible  recharging  and 
refuelling  points  for  low-  and  zero-emission  vehicles13.  Designing  all  these  facilities  also 
requires an increased focus on persons with disabilities.  

Freight  

13. Interconnectivity  between  long  distance  and  ‘first  and  last  mile’  connections  for  efficient 
freight  transport  is  fundamental  for  the  smooth  functioning  of  the  TEN-T  and  should  be 
better reflected in urban and regional planning. For example, to support quicker and more 
efficient  zero-emission  logistics  in  urban  nodes,  a  sufficient  number  of  multimodal 
terminals and freight consolidation centres is needed.  

14. The  deployment  of  recharging  and  refuelling  infrastructure  for  low-  and  zero-emission 
vehicles  at  these  centres  and  logistics  hubs  is  particularly  important  for  delivery  vehicles 

12  A  long-term  vision  for  the  EU’s  rural  areas  https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/new-push-

european-democracy/long-term-vision-rural-areas_en  

13  The Commission Proposal for a Regulation on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure (Alternative 

Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR)): https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/en/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52021PC0559  

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and  long-haul  trucks14.  Alternative  delivery  solutions,  such  as  cargo  bikes  and  inland 
waterways should also be considered and better utilised in urban logistics, with automated 
deliveries  and  drones  (unmanned  aircraft)  being  increasingly  used  in  the  future,  where 
appropriate.  

15. To  tackle  these  deficiencies  for  passenger  and  freight  transport,  the  TEN-T  Regulation 
needs to be strengthened to include urban mobility, which is essential for the overall good 
functioning  of  the  network.  At  the  same  time,  cities  need  to  retain  a  sufficient  level  of 
flexibility  in  full  respect  of  subsidiarity.  Therefore,  the  proposed  revision  of  the  TEN-T 
Regulation provides for a reinforced approach to a larger number of urban nodes15. These 
urban  nodes  are  the  starting  points  and  final  destinations  (‘first  and  last  mile’)  for 
passengers and freight moving on the TEN-T as well as points of transfer within or between 
different  transport  modes,  with  a  strong  focus  on  public  transport.  The  revision  also 
addresses the shortcomings identified by the Court of Auditors in their 2020 special report16 
and follows up on its recommendations.  

The  Commission  is  proposing  to  revise  the  TEN-T  Regulation  and  require  for  urban 
nodes in particular:  

- 

- 

- 

- 

the  adoption  of  Sustainable  Urban  Mobility  Plans,  taking  into  account  the  overall 
importance  of  facilitating    longer-distance  trans-European  transport  flows,  getting 
transport  drastically  less  polluting  in  cities,  incentivising  zero-emission  mobility, 
including  active,  collective  and  shared  mobility,  and  decreasing  energy  intensity  of 
transport; 

the  collection  and  submission  of  urban  mobility  data  covering  at  minimum, 
greenhouse  gas  emissions,  congestion,  deaths  and  serious  injuries  caused  by  road 
crashes, modal share for all modes, and access to mobility services17 as well as data 
on air and noise pollution in cities; 

the development of multimodal passenger hubs, including park and ride facilities, to 
improve  first  and  last  mile  connections  and  to  enhance  the  necessary  capacities  for 
long-distance connectivity in and between urban nodes;  

the development of multimodal freight terminals to ensure sustainable urban logistics 
based on a comprehensive analysis at Member State level. 

2.2  A reinforced approach to Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) and 

mobility management plans 

16. Introduced  in  2013,  Sustainable  Urban  Mobility  Plans  are  a  cornerstone  of  EU  urban 
mobility. SUMPs help to address mobility challenges for the entire functional urban area, 
including  synergies  with  spatial,  energy  and  climate  plans.  Over  the  past  years,  a  vast 
compendium  of  advice  and  guidance  has  been  developed  with  the  community,  and  a 
subsequent set of guidelines has been made available to cities and stakeholders on the EU 

14  The Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation will address this as well.  

15 The Commission proposal increases their number to 424, effectively covering all cities with more than 100 000 
inhabitants  (or,  if  in  a  NUTS  2  region  there  is  not  such  an  urban  node  with  a  population  over  a  100  000 
inhabitants, the main node of that NUTS 2 region). 

16 https://www.eca.europa.eu/en/Pages/DocItem.aspx?did=53246  

17 Share of the population with appropriate access to mobility services (e.g. public transport). 

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urban mobility observatory18. There is also a self-assessment tool to help cities understand 
the strengths and weaknesses of their SUMPs19. 

17. However,  the  evaluation  of  the  2013  Urban  Mobility  Package  found  a  number  of 
shortcomings  that  prevent  SUMPs  from  contributing  more  effectively  to  the  EU’s 
increasingly ambitious transport, climate, health and societal objectives and commitments, 
as laid down in the European Green Deal and the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy. 
There is  an uneven implementation of SUMPs between and within Member States: many 
towns  and  cities  still  do  not  have  a  SUMP  and  for  those  with  a  SUMP,  there  are  large 
variations  in  their  quality.  Moreover,  more  efforts  are  needed  to  ensure  that  the  existing 
sustainable urban logistics plans are better embedded in the SUMP framework and further 
developed and implemented across the EU. These deficiencies largely have to do with what 
has until now been the non-binding approach and need to be addressed.  

18. The  local  authorities  and  planning  practitioners  would  benefit  from  complementary 
planning  tools  addressing  systemic  aspects  of  mobility,  energy  and  sustainability.  The 
opportunities to strengthen such interfaces between SUMPs and other relevant urban plans 
covering energy (in particular the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAP)) 
and sustainability will be reviewed. 

19. Under  the  revised  TEN-T  Regulation,  obligations  on  SUMPs  are  proposed  for  the 
established  urban  nodes.  At  the  same  time,  the  scope  of  SUMPs  should  be  further 
complemented and improved, taking into account linkages with surrounding rural areas and 
anticipating  as  well  the  need  for  specific  indicators  and  requirements  on  SUMPs  for  the 
TEN-T urban nodes. 

20. Furthermore, the Commission calls on each Member State to put in place a national long-
term  SUMP  support  programme,  with  a  national  programme  manager.  This  programme 
could  contain  legal,  financial  and  organisational  measures  to  help  build  capacity  and 
implement SUMPs in compliance with European SUMP guidelines20.   

21. In parallel, public and private organisations such as companies, hospitals, schools or tourist 
attractions  should  be  encouraged  to  develop  mobility  management  plans  and  actions  that 
promote low- and zero-emission means of mobility such as public transport, active mobility 
or shared mobility.  

The Commission will:  

-  publish,  by the  end of 2022, a  Commission Recommendation to  Member States  on 
the  national  programme  to  support  regions  and  cities  in  the  roll-out  of  effective 
sustainable  urban  mobility  plans.  This  will  include  an  upgraded  SUMP  concept, 
setting clear priorities 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;  

-  encourage  cooperation  with  the  European  Covenant  of  Mayors  on  alignment  of 
SUMP and Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs) instruments; 

18 https://www.eltis.org/mobility-plans/sump-guidelines  

19 https://www.eltis.org/resources/tools/sump-self-assessment-tool  

20 https://www.eltis.org/mobility-plans/sump-guidelines  

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-  complement and streamline the set of SUMP guidance. 

2.3  Monitoring progress – sustainable urban mobility indicators 

22. To understand the progress achieved and improve existing plans, comprehensive data has to 
be  available.  As  local  authorities  take  individual  actions  to  achieve  policy  goals,  it  is 
becoming more evident that a common approach to monitoring and providing information 
is  lacking.  EU-wide  standardised  indicators  would  also  make  it  easier  for  cities  to  share 
best practices. This common knowledge base could in turn allow them to pursue joined-up 
approaches at the European level to implement sustainable urban mobility plans.  

23. In  a  pilot  project  with  several  EU  cities,  the  Commission  has  tested  a  set  of  sustainable 
urban  mobility  indicators  –  such  as  the  affordability  of  public  transport,  road  deaths  and 
injuries,  greenhouse  gas  and  air  pollutant  emissions,  congestion  and  modal  split  –  and 
provided a  related benchmarking tool21.  The feedback received  has provided guidance on 
how to improve the indicator set in particular to ensure that their methodology is simplified 
and benefits from long-term support and commitment. It also identified the need to provide 
support  to  cities,  increase  relevant  resources  at  local  authorities  and  support  data 
acquisition.  

24. Furthermore  the  need  to  better  involve  Member  States  in  the  process  was  identified,  as 
several  Member  States  do  not  systematically  collect  relevant  data.  This  is  a  particularly 
important  issue  for  the  TEN-T  urban  nodes,  given  that  they  are  vital  parts  of  the  TEN-T 
network. 

25. Based on the above, a staged preparatory  approach is proposed. It will start with refining 
the indicators, followed by supporting cities and Member States in collecting the necessary 
data,  in  view  of  the  proposed  requirements  for  data  collection  by  the  urban  nodes  on  the 
TEN-T.  

Therefore, in order to increase the uptake of the indicators, the Commission will: 

-  by the end of 2022, improve and streamline the set of 19 sustainable urban mobility 

indicators already identified as well as the related benchmarking tool; 

- 

in 2023, launch a programme support action under the Connecting Europe Facility to 
Member States for the collection of data for harmonised mobility indicators in order 
to monitor the progress  achieved by TEN-T urban nodes towards sustainable urban 
mobility. 

2.4  Attractive public transport services, supported by a multimodal approach 

and by digitalisation 

26.  Public transport such as urban rail, metros, trams, buses, water buses, ferries or cable cars 
represent  the  safest,  most  efficient  and  sustainable  ways  for  large  numbers  of  people  to 
travel.  Public  transport  also  provides  affordable  and  inclusive  mobility  options,  enabling 
social  cohesion  and  local  economic  development.  That’s  why  the  Commission  proposes 
today that urban nodes in the TEN-T network develop sustainable urban mobility plans that 
aims  to  increase  the  use  of  public  transport,  and  aims  to  promote,  in  the  new  EU  Urban 

21   https://ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/urban/urban_mobility/sumi_en  

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Mobility  Framework,  the  strengthening  of  this  form  of  transport  throughout  cities  and 
regions. 

27. However, the evaluation of the 2013 policy framework showed that since 2013 the use of 
public  transport  in  European  cities  has  only  slightly  increased,  and  the  COVID-19 
pandemic strongly hit public transport operations and ridership. Some cities have shown the 
efficiency  of  local,  regional  or  national  public  and  transport  authorities  engaging  in 
campaigns to regain the public’s trust and to get people back into the habit of using public 
transport.  More  needs  to  be  done  for  public  transport  and  for  related  aspects  such  as 
multimodal information systems and smart ticketing. This should be properly  reflected in 
particular in the strengthened SUMP framework. 

28. Public  transport  creates  jobs,  promotes  territorial  accessibility  and  social  inclusion  and  is 
key  for  connectivity  with  rural  and  peri-urban  areas.  In  that  regard,  rail  transport  is  well 
positioned to expand its modal share, including in urban areas and their surroundings. The 
European Year of Rail in 2021 has been a good opportunity to kick-start this process.  

29. As  part  of  a  broader  shift  towards  zero-emission  mobility,  hydrogen  and  in  particular 
battery  electric  buses  already  represent  a  fast-growing  share  of  the  public  transport  fleet 
across the EU. Alternative fuels infrastructure legislation22, currently in revision as part of 
the  Fit  for  55  package23,  sets  a  framework  for  completing  standardisation  of  recharging 
infrastructure at EU level, and the revised Clean Vehicles Directive24 sets national targets 
for  public    procurement  of  clean  buses,  trucks,  cars  and  vans  for  services  such  as  public 
transport,  waste  collection  or  mail  and  parcel  transport.  The  Commission  has  prioritised 
support, particularly for deploying the necessary recharging and refuelling infrastructure in 
order  to  allow  a  smooth  transition  towards  zero-emission  vehicles.  The  Commission  has 
also set-up the Clean Bus Europe Platform25 to help cities with the transition towards clean 
bus fleets. 

30. The coverage and accessibility of public transport within cities has improved26. But more 
needs to be done to increase its quality, accessibility for persons with disabilities and ensure 
better  integration  between  public  transport  and  shared  mobility  services  and  active 
mobility,  including  micro-mobility  services  in  order  to  cover  the  last  mile  where  access 
points  are  far  or  frequency  of  public  transport  is  low.  This  will  also  contribute  to  the 
reduction  of  the  need  to  use  motorised  vehicles  and  thus  can  reduce  congestion. 
Furthermore, public transport and shared mobility services should complement each other. 
In  some  cases,  shared  and  on-demand  mobility  could  become  part  of  public  transport,  in 
particular in rural areas, integrated under Mobility as a Service models.  

31. Good  quality  public  transport  serves  commuters  and  travelers,  high-  and  low-income 
households,  older  and  young  people,  women  and  men  alike.  We  need  to  adapt  the  urban 
public  transport  infrastructure  and  services  to  ensure  better  accessibility,  among  other 

22 Directive 2014/94/EU on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure.  

23  Commission  proposal  for  a  Regulation  on  the  deployment  of  alternative  fuels  infrastructure:  https://eur-

lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52021PC0559  

24  Directive  2009/33/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  23  April  2009  on  the  promotion  of 
low-emission  mobility:  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-

transport  vehicles 

clean  road 
content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02009L0033-20190801  

in  support  of 

25 https://cleanbusplatform.eu/  

26 https://www.eca.europa.eu/en/Pages/DocItem.aspx?did=53246 

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things27,  including  to  better  serve  an  ageing  population  in  many  cities  as  well  as  persons 
with disabilities or reduced mobility. 

32. In order to achieve this, public transport must be at the centre of sustainable urban mobility 
planning, be available and attractive to all and offer barrier-free access. It should maintain a 
high safety culture to protect the general public, children and vulnerable  users and attract 
new groups of people. Public transport planning should also address connections with the 
areas outside the  city centre, including connections to the suburbs and rural areas beyond 
the city.   

33. There  also  needs  to  be  a  greater  focus  on  the  digitalisation  and  automation  of  tram,  bus, 
urban rail and metro services; this can increase the frequency of services and cut operating 
costs. Moreover, more data on the actual traffic flows of people are needed to dynamically 
adapt  city-wide  public  transport  capacity,  routes  and  timetables,  rather  than  continuing 
historically established fixed transport offers. 

34. More  broadly,  digital  multimodal  solutions  are  also  instrumental  in  increasing  the 
attractiveness of public transport. Therefore, Mobility as a Service (MaaS) apps need to be 
developed with  public transport as the backbone.  Public transport authorities  must ensure 
that  passengers  are  provided  with  real-time  public  transport  timetables  and  multimodal 
options. This requires all stakeholders to work together to reconcile commercial and public 
interests in the design and operation of MaaS apps. An integrated offer that includes single 
ticket  would  also  help  to  make  seamless  connections  to  longer-distance  rail  travel  and  to 
increase  the  mobility  options  for  people  living  in  remote  areas,  for  persons  with  reduced 
mobility and for commuters, including from rural and peri-urban areas. 

35. Moreover,  it  is  important  to  make  sure  that  providers  of  urban  transport  services  provide 
accessible  information  to  make  their  websites,  mobile  apps,  electronic  ticketing  services, 
real-time travel  information  services, ticketing and check-in  machines compliant with EU 
wide accessibility requirements28. 

36. At  the  same  time,  the  changes  linked  to  automation  and  digitalisation  will  also  bring 
challenges  for  public  transport,  including  for  its  workers.  The  jobs  of  drivers,  are,  in 
particular, at high risk of being automated29. Reskilling and upskilling therefore has to play 
a  substantial  role  in  the  shift  to  zero-emission  public  transport  in  the  future,  and  other 
measures have to be worked out in a dialogue with social partners. The European Pact for 
Skills30 will help  mobilise stakeholders  and  act  as  an incentive for them  to  take action in 
upskilling and reskilling.  

37. All of these aspects, firmly established in the SUMP framework, should contribute to better 
public transport, making it more attractive and thus increasing its use for all demographic 
groups, including for those from peri-urban and rural areas. Public procurement rules have 
an important role to play in the efficient provision of urban mobility services. Therefore the 

27  In  this  respect,  Regulation  2021/782  on  rail  passenger  rights  and  Regulation  181/2011  on  bus  and  coach 

passenger rights apply.  

28 Directive (EU) 2019/882 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 on the accessibility 
requirements  for  products  and  services  (it  will  become  applicable  in  2025):  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32019L0882  

29 More in-depth analysis of challenges related to jobs and skills in transport is included in the Commission staff 
working document accompanying the sustainable and smart mobility strategy (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52020SC0331)  

30 https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1517&langId=en  

8 

 
 
                                                           
Commission  calls  on  Member  States  to  conduct  their  related  procurement  procedures  to 
prioritise innovative, digital, accessible, sustainable and multimodal solutions. 

The Commission will: 

- 

- 

reinforce its funding (see section 5) and policy support (e.g. reinforced SUMP concept) for 
public transport and will work with national and local administrations and all stakeholders 
to ensure that this form of transport remains the backbone of urban mobility and to tackle 
inequalities in accessing the public transport network, including improving access to train 
stations; 

consider the mandatory provision of operators’ real-time data (e.g. timetable and disruption 
information), including from public transport,  through national  (data) access  points, in  its 
review of Delegated Regulation 2017/1926 on multimodal travel information services to be 
adopted in 2022; 

-  propose  that,  as  part  of  the  TEN-T,  urban  nodes  are  required  to  make  it  possible  for 
passengers to access information, book, pay their journeys and retrieve their tickets through 
multimodal  digital  mobility  services,  allowing  public  transport  to  be  the  backbone  of 
collective mobility in urban nodes by 2030. 

2.5  Healthier and safer mobility: a renewed focus on walking, cycling and 

micromobility 

38. Active mobility modes such as walking and cycling are low-cost and zero-emission forms 
of  mobility  which  can  also  bring  about  health  co-benefits  associated  to  more  active 
lifestyles.  In  order  to  develop  their  full  potential,  they  should  be  properly  addressed  in 
urban  mobility  policies  at  all  levels  of  governance  and  funding,  transport  planning, 
awareness-raising,  allocation  of  space,  safety  regulations  and  adequate  infrastructure, 
including  a  special  focus  on  people  with  reduced  mobility.  This  will  also  support  the 
implementation  of  Europe’s  Beating  Cancer  Plan.  That  is  another  reason  why  the 
Commission  proposes  today  that  urban  nodes  in  the  TEN-T  network  develop  sustainable 
urban  mobility  plans  that  also  aim  to  increase  the  use  of  active  mobility,  and  seeks  to 
promote,  in  the  new  EU  Urban  Mobility  Framework,  the  strengthening  of  this  type  of 
mobility throughout the cities and regions. 

39. Employers  can  encourage  better  employee  health  through  active  mobility.  Promotion 
campaigns  and  workplace  incentive  schemes,  supported  by  the  necessary  infrastructure 
investment  to  facilitate  walking  and  cycling  to  work,  result  in  improved  health  and 
wellbeing of employees. 

40.  Since  the  COVID-19  epidemic,  many  local  authorities  have  been  taking  action  such  as 
transforming  parking  spaces  or  widening  pedestrian  pavements  to  reallocate  more  public 
space to sustainable modes such as walking and cycling. Road infrastructure is public space 
that can be adapted to accommodate a safe use by all.  

41. Active mobility modes can be part of multimodal trips (especially for the first and last mile) 
and offer a door-to-door mobility solution on their own as well. They have great potential 
to improve human health thanks to physical activity and alleviate congestion thus reducing 

9 

 
 
carbon  dioxide  and  emissions,  air  and  noise  pollution.  Investing  in  active  mobility 
infrastructure also brings tangible economic gains31. 

42. E-bikes open up cycling to those living in hilly areas or in the suburbs and to older people 
and to some persons with reduced mobility, enabling a lot more people to commute, and go 
much  further,  by  bike.  E-cargo  bikes  are  also  taking  an  increasing  share  of  commercial 
delivery services. E-bikes are now the fastest-growing e-mobility segment in Europe, with 
a  52%  increase  in  sales  in  2020.  With  the  current  trend,  the  EU  is  also  developing  a 
stronger industrial base in bike and two wheeler technologies. They are becoming smarter, 
and more needs to be done to enhance investments in cycling infrastructure and to harness 
the potential of digitalisation and data to increase the take-up of cycling and its integration 
in a multimodal mix.  

43. An increased number of people walking and cycling, together with the rapid emergence of 
electric  scooters  and  other  new  forms  of  micromobility,  means  a  greater  number  of 
vulnerable road users32 on city streets. All road users, including motorised, need to adapt to 
the new landscape, through increased awareness and education for road safety. Vulnerable 
road users account for 70% of urban road fatalities, and this group therefore should receive 
more attention particularly if the EU is to reach its target of ‘vision zero33’ to reduce road 
fatalities and injuries to almost zero. Road safety aspects should receive additional attention 
and  be  a  mainstream  part  of  all  levels  of  urban  mobility  planning.  Vulnerable  road  users 
should  be  given  sufficient  space;  e.g.  through  the  physical  separation  of  foot, 
cycle/micromobility paths from motorised traffic wherever feasible. EU funding for urban 
mobility  projects  and  for  urban  infrastructure  projects  should  require  that  the  projects 
follow the ‘safe  system’ approach.  European cities  are  already  implementing measures to 
reduce the risk related to speed by adapting the maximum limits and continue the work as 
regards better speed management. 

44. Already  before  the  COVID-19  pandemic,  many  operators  had  started  to  provide  new 
micromobility services – such as dockless or station-based (electric) two-wheelers (bikes, 
scooters or electric mopeds) and other personal mobility devices – in numerous cities in the 
EU.  However,  different  rules  are  applied  nationally  and  locally,  often  even  within  one 
Member State, making it difficult for visitors to follow local rules correctly and hampering 
the business of sharing-scheme operators who want to operate in more than one country.  

45. Therefore a guidance for relevant authorities, based on close consultation of all interested 
parties, on the safe use of micromobility devices, is today being published on the EU urban 
mobility  observatory.  This  SUMP  Topic  Guide  provides  best  practice  and  key 
recommendations on the integration of micromobility devices in urban mobility planning, 
with  the  goal  to  achieve  their  safer  use  in  urban  areas.  It  will  help  to  integrate 
micromobility  into  the  vision  zero  approach  and  to  attain  the  EU’s  long-term  goal  of 
moving close to zero fatalities and severe injuries in road transport.  

Therefore, the Commission will:  

31   Every €1 invested in cycling  in the  key city arteries in Helsinki brings a €3.6 euro gain [Helsinki conducts 

first Bikenomics analysis | CIVITAS Handshake (handshakecycling.eu)]. 

32      Advocates  of  these  forms  of  mobility  often  talk  about  “valuable  road  users”  as  they  reduce  congestion  and 

improve air quality for all. 

33   EU  Road  Safety  Policy  Framework  2021-2030 

-  Next 

steps 

towards 

"Vision  Zero",  

https://ec.europa.eu/transport/road_safety/sites/default/files/move-2019-01178-01-00-en-tra-00_3.pdf   

10 

 
 
                                                           
-  propose  in  the  revised  TEN-T  Regulation  requirements  on  multimodal  passenger  hubs  in 
urban  nodes  to  better  integrate  active  transport  modes  and    requirements  to  maintain  the 
continuity  and  accessibility  of  cycling  paths  in  order  to  promote  the  active  modes  of 
transport; 

- 

increase the role of walking and cycling in the updated SUMP guidance documents; 

-  publish today, on the EU urban mobility observatory, a dedicated SUMP Topic Guide on 
the safe use of micromobility devices to help urban mobility planners and local authorities  
to permit the safe deployment of new devices on city streets; 

-  building on experience at national and local levels on safety requirements, prepare rules on 

the safety of micromobility devices; 

-  provide, by the end of 2022, guidance on quality infrastructure requirements for vulnerable 
road  users  in  the  initial  audit  of  the  design  phase  under  Directive  2008/96/EC34  on  road 
infrastructure safety management. 

2.6  Zero-emission city freight logistics and last-mile delivery 

46. City freight transport, or logistics, is essential to the functioning of urban economies, even 
more so during and following the COVID-19 pandemic which has resulted in an increase in 
e-commerce activity and home deliveries. Consumer e-commerce deliveries grew by 25% 
in 2020 due to the pandemic, and the increase in last-mile deliveries is likely to persist35. 

47. Besides the proposed features on urban nodes in the revision of the TEN-T Regulation, the 
deployment  of  rapidly  developing and  sustainable  solutions such as cargo bikes therefore 
needs  to  be  accelerated,  using  new  distribution  models,  dynamic  routing,  and  a  better 
multimodal  connected  use  of  urban  rail  and  inland  waterways.  This  would  support 
optimisation  of  the  use  of  vehicles  and  infrastructure  and  reduce  the  need  for  empty  and 
unnecessary runs. 

48. Moreover,  the  freight  dimension  should  feature  prominently  in  the  sustainable  urban 
mobility planning to accelerate their deployment. More efforts are needed to ensure that the 
existing  sustainable  urban  logistics  plans  (SULPs)36  are  better  embedded  in  the  SUMP 
framework  and  further  developed  and  implemented  across  the  EU37.  This  will  help  to 
achieve the goal of zero-emission urban logistics by 2030. 

49. Actions  in  this  domain  shall  focus  on  the  deployment  of  zero-emission  solutions, 
technologies  and  vehicles  for  urban  logistics.  The  Commission  will  revise  the  CO2 
emission  performance  standards  for  heavy-duty  vehicles  in  order  to  move  towards  zero-
emission  vehicles  in  this  sector.  The  Commission’s  proposal  on  more  ambitious  CO2 

34   https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=celex%3A32008L0096  

35   https://www.weforum.org/press/2021/04/covid-19-has-reshaped-last-mile-logistics-with-e-commerce-

deliveries-rising-25-in-2020/ 

36  A  dedicated 
https://www.eltis.org/sites/default/files/sustainable_urban_logistics_planning_0.pdf 

context  of  SUMP  was  published 

topic  guide 

the 

in 

in  October  2019:  

37   The 2021 Fact-finding study found that, although 68% of the EU cities sampled were aware of the sustainable 
urban  logistics  plans  (SULP)  guidelines,  only  13%  have  a  dedicated  SULP,  while  58%  have  logistics 
elements in their sustainable urban mobility plans. 

11 

 
 
                                                           
 
emission standards for  light  duty  vehicles38  will also  significantly  increase  the  roll-out of 
zero emission vans used for urban logistics. 

50. Ensuring the engagement of public and private stakeholders is central to optimising urban 
logistics and last-mile delivery in economic, social and environmental terms. Collaboration 
between  local  authorities  and  private  stakeholders,  regular  dialogues  among  all  parties, 
networking and exchanges among cities planners are key actions mentioned by both local 
authorities  and  private  stakeholders39  to  build  knowledge  on  sustainable  urban  logistics 
management and planning. In addition, more work is necessary at EU level on assessing the 
need for more urban freight data collection and sharing40. 

Therefore, the Commission will:  

-  make a proposal by the end of 2022 to revise the CO2 emission performance standards for 

heavy-duty vehicles in order to move towards zero-emission vehicles in this sector; 

- 

- 

- 

ensure that the existing sustainable urban logistics plans (SULPs) are fully integrated in the 
SUMP framework; 

support  dialogue  and  collaboration between all parties, networking  and exchanges  among 
cities planners;  

support  voluntary  data  sharing  between  all  types  of  stakeholders  to  make  urban  freight 
transport more efficient, sustainable and competitive41. 

2.7  Digitalisation, innovation and new mobility services  

51. Digitalisation  has  untapped  potential:  technologies  such  as  artificial  intelligence,  digital 
twins, blockchains, internet of things, European solutions for satellite navigation and earth 
observation  hold  the  promise  of  making  urban  mobility  smarter,  more  resilient  and  more 
sustainable. 

52. Thanks to new applications and platforms, smartphones can give access to a wide range of 
services. For example, ‘Mobility as a Service’ apps can help with the booking and payment 
of tickets for all mobility offers. The more seamless we can make multimodal journeys, the 
more users will welcome and accept them. In the future, both transport operators as well as 
passengers  will  have  the  possibility  to  use  European  Digital  Identity  Wallets42  which 
Member  States  will  issue  to  allow  citizens,  residents  and  businesses  to  exchange  and 
present credentials, including for urban mobility.  

38   Proposal for a Regulation setting emission performance standards for new passenger cars  and  for new light 
commercial vehicles, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52017PC0676R(01)  

39  

idem 

40   According to the Fact-finding study, only 29% of the EU cities sampled collect data on urban logistics and 

only 32% have an evaluation framework. 

41 Taking due account of the solutions being developed in the Digital Transport and Logistics Forum (DTLF). 

42  On 3 June 2021, the European Commission adopted a Proposal for a Regulation of the  European Parliament 
and  of  the  Council  amending  Regulation  (EU)  No  910/2014  as  regards  establishing  a  framework  for  a 
European Digital Identity in conjunction with Commission Recommendation of 3.6.2021 on a common Union 
Toolbox for a coordinated approach towards a European Digital Identity Framework. If legislative discussions 
can be concluded by the end of 2022, Member States would issues Digital Identity Wallets in 2024. 

12 

 
 
                                                           
53. Moreover, digital mobility management tools can help public transport authorities to gain 
an  accurate  understanding  of  public  space  usage,  make  better  investments  in  multimodal 
infrastructure and vehicles and effectively design and monitor compliance with rules.  

54. To  further  support  better  traffic  and  mobility  management,  the  envisaged  revision  of  the 
ITS  Directive43  and  the  revised  Delegated  Regulation  on  EU-wide  real-time  traffic 
information  services44  will  reinforce  real-time  traffic  information  and  multimodal  digital 
mobility services. 

55. Digitalisation also offers a way to resolve certain challenges related to urban vehicle access 
regulations  (UVARs).  In  Europe,  the  majority  (73%)  of  UVARs  concern  low  (and  zero) 
emission  zones.  Low-emission  zones  can  be  an  effective  tool  to  address  local  air  quality 
problems, especially for areas where traffic is a dominant source of overall air pollution. In 
addition,  a  number  of  local  authorities  are  considering  emergency  pollution  schemes  or 
road-charging schemes to tackle other issues such as congestion45. Indeed, many cities are 
struggling with local road congestion and air quality issues caused by transport, frequently 
exceeding EU air quality standards and pollution thresholds46. In particular, road transport 
should  become  drastically  less  polluting,  especially  in  cities.  The  planned  proposal  for 
more stringent air pollutant emissions standards for vehicles (Euro 7) will help cities in the 
transition towards clean mobility. In addition, UVARs can represent a measure to comply 
with  EU  air  quality  standards  and  to  limit  congestion  and  traffic-borne  emissions. 
Furthermore, they also incentivise the use of public transport and active mobility, reducing 
the access of more polluting vehicles to sensitive urban areas. 

56. It is important that where UVARs are deployed they allow for seamless and user-friendly 
travel  across  the  single  market,  without  leading  to  discrimination  of  non-resident  drivers. 
While  the  introduction  of  specific  UVARs  is  and  should  be  a  task  for  the  competent 
national and local authorities, the variety of different UVARs poses new challenges in the 
EU for passenger and freight transport. Road users need better access to information to be 
aware of these regulations and be able to comply with them; and cities are often unable to 
set  up  and  properly  enforce  effective  and  functional  schemes.  These  challenges  are 
particularly  serious  for  foreign  vehicles,  even  when  they  have  zero  emissions.  A 
standardised  and  effective  manner  to  provide  information  and  data  on  UVAR  rules  to 
drivers is missing. Equally, city authorities have been lacking the data necessary for cross-
border enforcement. 

57. The Commission has so far focused its efforts on improving the provision of information 

and data sharing through: 

a.  implementation of Regulation (EU) 2018/1724 on the Single Digital Gateway47, 
which  requires  public  authorities  to  provide  information  to  road  users  through 
the Gateway; 

43 

https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12534-Intelligent-transport-systems-

review-of-EU-rules-_en  

44   https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX%3A32015R0962  

45   On 21 October 2021, the UVARs in place or confirmed as being planned concerned 328 low emission zones, 
tolls.  Source: 

and  6  urban 

schemes,  36 

zero-emission 

zones 

130 
emergency  pollution 
https://urbanaccessregulations.eu/  

46  Directive  2008/50/EC  on  ambient  air  quality  and  cleaner  air  for  Europe:  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-

content/EN/TXT/?qid=1486474738782&uri=CELEX:02008L0050-20150918 

47   The Single Digital Gateway Regulation (SDG) operates as the single entry point for people and businesses to 
access  information  about  the  rules  and  requirements  that  they  have  to  comply  with  due  to  EU,  national, 

13 

 
 
                                                           
 
b.  preparation  of  the  revision48  of  the  Delegated  Regulation  on  real  time  traffic 
information49 requiring Member States to give access to a broad range of static 
and dynamic data to include new data sets, such as those pertaining to UVARs; 
c.   the ‘UVARbox50’project, which aims to help cities develop a user-friendly tool 
to provide data in a standardised format on urban and regional UVAR schemes; 
d.   the  ‘UVARexchange51’ project, which aims to improve the communication of 
information to drivers in the vicinity of UVAR zones and to improve the local 
authorities’  access  to  information,  especially  with  respect  to  foreign  vehicles 
and drivers, for seamless travel and enforcement of UVARs by local authorities. 

58. There is a need to work further for effective, cost-efficient, user-friendly and fair solutions 
that benefit both public  authorities and vehicle drivers and owners and help them operate 
and apply UVARs.  

59. Digitalisation also enables new mobility services such as free-floating car and bike sharing, 
ride  hailing  and  innovative  taxi  services,  or  delivery  services,  mainly  offered  through 
mobile  apps.  In  addition,  these  services  represent  a  major  opportunity  for  European 
businesses.  

60. Ride-hailing companies can be game-changers by offering private hire vehicles with drivers 
(PHV) services that compete with established taxi services. Taxi drivers often perceive the 
competition by ride-hailing companies as unfair, if these do not need to observe the same 
rules as taxis. At the same time, ride-hailing companies and PHV operators perceive rules 
for  PHV  as  outdated.  The  Commission  will  provide  targeted  guidance  on  the  rules 
concerning taxi and PHV services in 2022. This guidance complements recent proposals of 
the  Commission  on  fair  working  conditions  in  the  platform  economy.  To  ensure  the 
development of these services in line with the European Green Deal, today’s proposal for 
the  revised  TEN-T  Guidelines  foresee  that  SUMPs  in  urban  nodes  should  cover  plans  to 
shift towards zero-emission car fleets.  

61. Other new mobility and transport services are emerging, often supported by EU funding for 
research  and  innovation  activities.  Connected  cooperative  automated  mobility  (CCAM) 
services  and  urban  air  mobility  (UAM)52  are  two  of  them.  To  maximise  their  potential 
contribution to urban mobility, it is necessary to integrate them into the SUMP framework 
from an early stage. 

62.  More  broadly,  many  European  cities  are  already  global  frontrunners  when  it  comes  to 
transport  innovation,  sustainable  urban  mobility  planning  and  the  implementation  of 
ambitious climate and road safety targets. Our cities are often the best ‘living laboratories’ 
where  new  solutions  to  common  challenges  are  designed,  tested  and  implemented, 

regional  or  local  regulations.  Among  other  requirements,  public  authorities  are  required  to  provide 
information on UVARs to road users through the  gateway. Regarding the procedure for obtaining emission 
stickers,  the  Regulation  stipulates  that  such  stickers  issued  by  a  public  body  or  institution  must  be  fully 
available online by 12 December 2023. 

48   The adoption of the delegated act is expected for Q1 2022 

49   https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32015R0962  

50  The  European  Parliament’s 

funded  preparatory  action  managed  by 

the  Commission  services 

(https://uvarbox.eu).  

51  The  European  Parliament’s 

funded  preparatory  action  managed  by 

the  Commission  services 

(https://www.eltis.org/in-brief/news/uvarexchange-project-kicks)  

52   Defined as: very-low altitude air traffic over populated areas at scale. 

14 

 
 
                                                                                                                                                                                        
contributing  not  only  to  more  effective  and  sustainable  urban  mobility  but  also  further 
increasing the quality of life in European cities for the people who live there. Cities are also 
experimenting with the use of Local Digital Twins, combining data from different domains 
(including  mobility)  and  using  visualisation,  modelling  and  simulation  to  support  their 
decision-making in an integrated manner. 

63. Public  discussion  and  the  ‘co-creation’  of  new  mobility  concepts  is  vital  for  their  public 
acceptance.  To  that  aim  and  since  2002,  the  CIVITAS  Initiative  was  supported  by  the 
successive R&I Framework Programmes and has been bringing innovative actions to local 
and regional levels, enabling public authorities to better manage innovation and adopt new 
tools,  solutions  or  processes.  This  helps  to  promote  deployment  and  replication  of 
sustainable and smart urban mobility solutions across Europe – and beyond.   

64. Moreover,  there  are  many  EU  research  and  innovation  initiatives  that  have  a  link  with 
urban mobility, including the 2ZERO (Towards zero emission road transport) and CCAM 
(Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility) co-programmed partnerships, the Clean 
Hydrogen and Europe’s Rail institutional partnerships, the DUT (Driving Urban Transition) 
co-funded  partnership,  the  Urban  Innovative  Actions  initiative,  the  EIT  Knowledge  and 
Innovation  Community  on  Urban  Mobility,  the  living.eu  initiative  and  the  Smart  Cities 
Marketplace.  These  initiatives  complement  each  other  and  have  great  potential  for 
synergies  to  accelerate  innovation  towards  more  sustainable,  liveable  cities  and  urban 
spaces.  A  particularly  promising  avenue  for  effective  coordination  between  initiatives  in 
urban matters is the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities mission (see below). 

The Commission will: 

-  propose a legislative initiative by 2022 on the provision and use of commercially sensitive 
data for multimodal digital mobility services, also improving accessibility for people with 
reduced mobility; 

-  present  actions to develop a common European mobility data space to  facilitate access to 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

and sharing of mobility data, including at urban level, in 2022; 
create,  with  the  support  of  the  Digital  Europe  Programme53,  an  EU  Toolbox  for  Local 
Digital  Twins  to  help  cities,  in  their  own  local  context,  to  combine  data  from  different 
domains,  such  as  mobility,  and  to  use  visualisation  and  simulation  to  support  decision-
making; 

launch a dedicated study in  2022, which will map and clarify which digital  and technical 
solutions  would  be  available  to  enable  more  effective  and  user-friendly  UVARs,  while 
respecting the principle of subsidiarity; 

issue  guidance  on  local  transport-on-demand:  i.e.  taxis,  private  hire  vehicles  with  drivers 
and ride-hailing; 

further  develop  the  CIVITAS  Initiative  under  Horizon  Europe  and  its  cooperation  with 
relevant EU-funded initiatives, through the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities mission; 

support  innovation  actions  within  the  Horizon  Europe  R&I  programme  through  the 
partnerships  that  are  relevant  for  urban  mobility  activities  (DUT  co-funded  partnership, 
2ZERO  and  CCAM  co-programmed  partnerships,  Clean  Hydrogen  and  the  Europe's  Rail 
institutional partnerships). 

53   Digital Europe Work Programme 2021-2021, C(2021) 7914 final, Annex. Indicative call opening 2022.  

15 

 
 
                                                           
2.8  Towards climate-neutral cities: resilient, environmentally friendly and 

energy-efficient urban transport 

65. A  key  milestone  of  the  Sustainable  and  Smart  Mobility  Strategy  is  to  have  at  least  100 
climate  neutral  European  cities  by  2030.  Given  the  availability  of  suitable  technological 
and  other  policy  solutions  for  zero-emission  mobility,  cities  should  take  measures  to 
facilitate  the  green  transition  and  ultimately  ensure  that  urban  mobility  and  transport 
becomes climate neutral as early as possible. This should include synergies with renewable 
energy  generation,  storage  and  energy  communities.  In  particular,  city  authorities  should 
use the powers at their disposal, including in the context of public procurement, concession 
or  licence  award  procedures,  and  grant  award  procedures  to  accelerate  the  greening  of 
public  transport  and  fleets  such  as  shared  mobility  and  rental  vehicles,  delivery  vehicles 
and taxi- and PHV services.  

66. Public authorities should ensure the availability of efficient, interoperable and user-friendly 
recharging  and  alternative  fuels  refuelling  infrastructure.  To  this  end,  the  Sustainable 
Transport Forum has already drawn up a set of recommendations for public authorities for 
procuring,  awarding  concessions,  licences  and/or  granting  support  for  electric  recharging 
infrastructure for  passenger  cars and vans54.  In  addition, a  Guidance  for  better permitting 
and  grid  connection  procedures  of  recharging  infrastructure  as  well  as  Recommendations 
for  accelerating  the  electrification  of  specialised  and  captive  fleets  are  intended  to  be 
published in 2022. 

67. The transition to climate neutrality will be developed and demonstrated in practice by the 
cities involved in the on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities mission55. The mission aims to 
deliver 100 climate neutral and smart European cities by 2030 and to lay the groundwork 
for  all  cities  to  be  climate  neutral  by  2050.  Urban  mobility  will  be  at  the  heart  of  this 
challenge.  In  terms  of  R&I,  the  first  Horizon  Europe  work  programme  for  2021-2022 
includes a set of actions that help lay the foundations for the implementation of the mission, 
including in a number of key areas such as public transport.  

The Commission will: 

-  propose  to  include  in  the  revised  TEN-T  Regulation  obligations  on  the  availability  of 
recharging and refueling infrastructure, stemming from the Commission proposal on for a 
Regulation on the deployment of alternative fuel infrastructure56, including in urban nodes; 

- 

include in the Horizon Europe R&I work programmes topics to help cities invest in urban 
mobility innovation  within the Cities  Mission with a focus on public transport  and active 
mobility  and  within  the  transport  partnerships  to  support  automated,  smart  and  zero-
emission vehicles and their integration with the charging systems in urban areas; 

-  provide  EUR 359.3  million  under  Horizon  Europe  during  the  period  2021-2023  for  the 

initial implementation phase of the Climate-neutral and Smart Cities mission; 

-  develop further synergies with funding and financing from other EU programmes (such as  
European Structural and Investment Funds, Connecting Europe Facility and Recovery and 
Resilience  Facility),  European  Investment  Bank  and  private  sector  sources  to  support  the 

54 https://transport.ec.europa.eu/document/download/5bcffc0b-d1fe-468e-9f2c-04026629c907_en  

55 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52021DC0609&qid=1633352046497  

56 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52021PC0559 

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deployment of zero-emission mobility, vehicles and their enablers.   

2.9  Awareness raising and capacity building  

68. European Mobility Week (16-22 September)57 – the European Commission’s campaign in 
cooperation with a national coordinators network – has been promoting behavioural change 
towards sustainable mobility since 2002 in favour of active mobility, public transport, and 
other sustainable and smart transport solutions. While the campaign runs all year round, the 
main decentralised event in September is when towns and cities organise events linked to 
the annual theme, such  as  the increasingly  popular  ‘car-free days’. The theme of the  20th 
edition in 2021 was ‘Safe and Healthy with Sustainable Mobility’ and a record 3200 towns 
and cities from 53 countries around the world participated. Annual events such as major EU 
conferences58  and  EU-level  urban  mobility-related  awards  serve  a  similar  purpose  and 
enable  participants  to  network  and  share  best  practices.  The  ongoing  Conference  on  the 
Future  of  Europe  also  offers  an  excellent  forum  to  liaise  interactively  with  citizens  on 
sustainable transport solutions. 

69. The  annual  Access  City  Award59,  launched  by  the  European  Commission  in  2010, 
recognises  European  cities  for  their  efforts  to  become  more  accessible  for  persons  with 
disabilities, including in the area of transport and related infrastructure. The 12th edition of 
the Access City Award includes a special mention for making train stations more accessible 
to celebrate the European Year of Rail (2021). The Award encourages every city in the EU 
to  ensure  equal  access  to  urban  life  for  persons  with  disabilities  and  older  people. 
Moreover, it enables cities to inspire each other and share examples of good practices. 

70. In parallel to awareness-raising, there is  also a need to help local and regional authorities 
and urban transport workers build their capacity so they can effectively exercise their duty 
on sustainable and smart urban mobility. The EU has been supporting capacity building, in 
particular for sustainable urban mobility planning, through technical assistance and training 
and numerous projects and by providing guidance documents.  

The Commission will:  

- 

- 

continue  its  awareness-raising  activities  centred  on  European  Mobility  Week  and  the  EU 
urban mobility awards and events; 

continue  providing  technical  assistance,  and  in  particular  actions  to  build  the  capacity  of 
local, regional and national authorities to prepare and implement urban mobility measures 
and strategies. 

3 

 GOVERNANCE AND COORDINATION  

71. All  policy  levels  (EU,  national,  regional  and  local  authorities)  are  involved  in  mobility 
issues.  A  multi-level,  integrated  governance  approach  to  manage  urban  mobility,  along 
with other relevant sectors such as energy, is needed as part  of the drive  towards climate 
neutrality,  such  as  through  the  Climate-Neutral  and  Smart  Cities  mission.    Ensuring  that 
cities  are  fully  involved  to  support  the  achievement  of  European  objectives  is  of  key 

57 https://mobilityweek.eu/home/  

58 In particular Civitas Forum, the SUMP Conference and Urban Mobility Days.  

59 https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1141  

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importance  in  that  regard.  Respecting  subsidiarity  principles,  it  should  support  national, 
local and regional authorities in their work and enable a joined up approach across the EU. 

72. A  reinforced  platform  for  dialogue  and  the  co-creation  of  new  actions  to  implement  the 
new EU urban mobility framework is needed with a stronger engagement of Member States 
and a better dialogue with cities, regions and stakeholders on all urban mobility issues. To 
that end, existing structures should be used and adapted as far as possible60. 

73. A  reformed  Expert  Group  on  Urban  Mobility61  can  play  a  central  role  in  designing  and 
implementing this new governance  approach.  Its  overall functioning to date  has not lived 
up to initial expectations, and the public consultations and workshops highlighted the need 
to  improve  its  structure  and  working  arrangements.  This  should  include  opening 
participation  to  local  authorities,  city  networks  and  social  partners,  and  to  set  clear  work 
objectives and deliverables. The Expert Group should be supported in its operations by sub-
groups, where useful. 

74. The Expert Group should work in particular on public transport, shared and active mobility, 
zero-emission  fleets,  urban  logistics  and  first  and  last-mile  delivery,  including  in  urban 
cross-border areas, and urban-rural linkages. It should also coordinate preparedness for the 
contingency  of  urban  transport  between  Member  States62  as  well  as  between  national 
SUMP programme managers and the SUMP Coordination Platform Group. 

The Commission will:  

- 

review, by 2022, the mandate and operation of the Commission’s Expert Group on Urban 
Mobility.  

4 

INTERNATIONAL ASPECTS 

75. Urban mobility is one of the dimension covered by the Sustainable Development Goal 11 
on  sustainable  cities  and  communities,  and  by  the  New  Urban  Agenda.  These  global 
framework documents have been guiding EU multilateral and bilateral cooperation, as well 
as other activities launched to support the deployment of practices and solutions beyond the 
EU.  

76. The  International  Urban  Cooperation  programme63  2017-2020  contributed  to  creating 
dialogue between cities across the world on mobility issues via pairings and the design of 
common action plans. Examples include cooperation between Torino (Italy) and São Paolo 
(Brazil)  to  bring  about  multi-modal  urban  mobility  in  large  inter-municipal  systems,  and 
the work of Nagpur (India) and Karlsruhe (Germany) to reflect on people centered mobility 
and public bike-sharing.  

60 The review of the Urban Agenda planned for 2023 could examine synergies between its multi-level governance 

dialogue and the urban mobility community and stakeholders. 

61 https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/expert-groups-register/screen/expert-
groups/consult?do=groupDetail.groupDetail&groupID=3165&NewSearch=1&NewSearch=1 . 

62  The  Commission’s  Border  Focal  Point  composed  of  experts  in  cross-border  issues  can  contribute  also  to  the 

Expert group (e.g. addressing legal and administrative border obstacles). 

63 https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/policy/cooperation/international/urban/  

18 

 
 
                                                           
77. Under  the  new  International  Urban  and  Regional  Cooperation  Programme64  (IURC)  for 
2021-2024, 44 cities from EU and non-EU countries have manifested interest to work on a 
thematic network on urban and regional renewal and social cohesion, which notably covers 
sustainable mobility and transport issues.  

78. Numerous  other  international  activities  have  been  taking  place  to  boost  and  implement 
sustainable  urban  mobility  solutions,  supporting  EU  development  cooperation  and 
partnerships across the different geographical regions. These activities cover the investment 
dimensions  and  the  notion  of  strategic  mobility  governance  at  municipal  levels  for 
sustainable  urban  mobility  planning  where  the  EU  SUMP  concept  and  guidelines  have 
become  a  point  of  global  reference.  They  have  been  adapted  worldwide  to  geographical 
contexts and specificities. 

79. Further  engaging  local  political  ownership  of  sustainable  mobility  objectives  is  key  to 
attaining  the  EU’s  climate  goals.  Building  on  the  ambitions  of  the  European  Climate-
Neutral and Smart Cities mission, the Commission will strengthen international cooperation 
on  cross-sectoral  approaches  for  the  integration  of  reliable  and  affordable  clean  energy 
solutions, including under urban transport, via the Mission Innovation (MI) global initiative 
on Urban Transitions65.   

The Commission will: 

- 

encourage  cooperation  with  the  Global  Covenant  of  Mayors  for  Climate  and  Energy  on 
urban mobility matters; 

-  develop closer cooperation on urban mobility with other relevant international bodies such 

as the International Transport Forum (ITF); 

- 

continue to promote sustainable urban mobility approaches beyond the EU, e.g. as a part of 
the implementation of the Economic and Investment Plans for the Western Balkans66, the 
Eastern Partnership67, and the Southern Neighborhood68 69. 

5  FUNDING AND FINANCING URBAN MOBILITY PROJECTS 

80.  Decarbonising, cleaning,  digitalising and modernising urban mobility  requires significant 
efforts for developing and testing new solutions as well as investing in mobile assets and 
infrastructures.  

81. In the financing period 2021-2027, several funding and financing instruments at European 
and  national  levels,  such  as  the  Connecting  Europe  Facility,  InvestEU,  the  European 

64 https://www.iurc.eu 

65 http://mission-innovation.net/missions/urban-transitions-mission 

66 Communication ‘An Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans’ COM(2020) 641 final. 

67 Joint Communication ‘Reinforcing Resilience: an Eastern Partnership that delivers for all’, JOIN(2020) 7 final  
and  Joint  Staff  Working  Document  ‘Recovery,  resilience  and  reform:  post  2020  Eastern  Partnership 
priorities,’ SWD(2021) 186 final.   

68  Joint  Communication  ‘Renewed  partnership  with  the  Southern  Neighbourhood:  A  new  Agenda  for  the 
Mediterranean’,  JOIN(2021)  2  final,  and  Joint  Staff  Working  Document  ‘Renewed  Partnership  with  the 
Southern Neighbourhood Economic and Investment Plan for the Southern Neighbours’ SWD(2021) 23 final. 

69  These  activities  and  programmes  will  be  funded  from  the  new  Neighbourhood,  Development  International 

Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe. 

19 

 
 
                                                           
Regional  Development  Fund,  the  Cohesion  Fund,  Horizon  Europe  R&I  Framework 
Programme,  Digital  Europe  Programme  and  the  Recovery  and  Resilience  Facility,  are 
available to support the transition towards sustainable urban mobility; and Neighbourhood, 
Development  and  International  Cooperation  Instrument  (NDICI)  and  Pre-accession 
Assistance (IPA III) in the enlargement region.  

82. Major  steps  have  also  been  taken  to  make  the  financial  system  more  sustainable,  notably 
with the 2020 adoption of the Taxonomy Regulation, which creates a classification system 
for green economic activities. This will facilitate the scaling up of green financial products 
suitable  to  promote  investment  in  urban  mobility  and  alternative  fuel  deployments.  The 
Climate-Neutral  and  Smart  Cities  mission  will    support  this  process  by  ensuring  greater 
synergies and complementarities with other EU programmes whilst helping cities to deliver 
on the twin green and digital transition through the preparation and implementation of their 
Climate  City  Contracts  which  will  include  also  investment  plans  that  will  build  in  EU, 
national and regional funding support and set out how they plan to have access to financing 
from  other  sources,  to  scale  up  and  deploy  innovative  solutions  for  delivering  on  their 
commitments.  

83. Through  the  Technical  Support  Instrument70,  the  Commission  supports  Member  States  in 
designing  and  implementing  reforms  aimed  at  overcoming  the  investment  gap  and 
accelerating the twin transitions. Member States can ask for support through the Technical 
Support  Instrument  to  design  and  put  in  place  measures  to  enable  their  engagement  in 
effective and sustainable reforms and investments for cleaner, smarter and more integrated 
urban mobility and facilitate this way the transition towards sustainable urban mobility. 

84. More  advisory  support  and  technical  assistance  will  be  provided  through  the  InvestEU 
advisory hub, with dedicated facilities, notably ELENA, URBIS and SIA/JASPERS as well 
as through the Technical Assistance and Information Exchange instrument of the European 
Commission (TAIEX) or twinning projects involving third countries. This will also help to 
maximise the absorption and impact of EU funds.  

85. The existence of an integrated urban mobility strategy (Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan or 
equivalent) can give additional assurance on the effectiveness and efficiency of investments 
as part of a systemic approach.  

The Commission will:  

-  develop a stronger link between SUMPs and funding instruments and, e.g. give priority in 
the  Connecting  Europe  Facility  work  programmes  to  urban  mobility  projects  that  are 
backed  by  SUMPs  or  equivalent  plans,  and  give  priority  in  Horizon  Europe  calls  to 
applicants with SUMPs; 

- 

continue to provide financial support for sustainable urban mobility investments both in the 
EU and beyond, including to smart and sustainable urban mobility projects in cities through 
the EU Research and Innovation Programme Horizon Europe (2021-2027). 

6  CONCLUSIONS  

86. This Communication is a call to leverage action across all levels of governance in order to 
tackle  the  mobility  challenges  faced  by  urban  areas:  the  Commission  will  step  up  its 
support in areas with established EU added value (in particular regarding urban nodes on 

70 https://ec.europa.eu/info/overview-funding-programmes/technical-support-instrument-tsi_en   

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the  TEN-T  and  Recommendations  to  Member  States  on  effective  sustainable  urban 
mobility  plans),  while  creating  a  common  framework  for  all  EU  cities  to  make  the  shift 
towards more sustainable and smarter urban mobility. Member States are urged to support 
local  authorities’  increased  efforts  to  make  urban  mobility  more  sustainable,  smarter  and 
more resilient. Accelerating the transition towards climate-neutral and clean urban mobility 
represents  not  only  a  major  challenge  but  also  provides  huge  opportunities  for  cities  and 
regions as well as industry across the Union and beyond. In the end, it delivers on citizens’ 
expectations of cleaner air, less congestion and noise as well as increased road safety and 
better health, fully in line with our new growth strategy for Europe.     

21