Debate: Developing an EU Cycling Strategy
Date: THURSDAY, 7 JULY 2022
Speaker: Kadri Simson
Language: EN

The importance of cycling is highlighted by the role it plays in the EU’s sustainable urban mobility planning concept, as well as awareness-raising campaign of the European mobility week and cities initiative. Cycling also features very prominently in the new EU urban mobility framework and in the proposal for a revised TEN-T Regulation, both published in December last year. It is included also in the revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.  So now let me go into more detail in reply to the questions you raised. In response to the question related to publication of the EU cycling strategy in the near future, I would underline that the Commission fully agrees with the importance of cycling and believes that this is already well reflected in its policy priorities. This position was also recalled by EVP Timmermans in this speech delivered in Copenhagen at a cycling summit where he announced that the European Commission should work together with the European Parliament on an interinstitutional European declaration on more cycling in Europe.  This declaration could already reflect several of your demands, to give more prominence as to how European policies can support cycling. This is especially the case in Member States, if in the Council are also invited to take part in such a future declaration.  In response to the question on measures to complement and/or extend the EU urban mobility framework and the EU climate neutral and smart cities mission to support cycling and increase its share, I would like to recall the following.  The Commission considers that the new EU urban mobility framework provides an adequate basis for promotion of cycling at the EU level. It announces some actions that will further reinforce active mobility, for example, by setting clear priorities to favour these modes in the upgraded sustainable urban mobility planning concept to be published by the end of 2022.  The above, coupled with the proposed requirements in the revised trans-European Transport Network Regulation regarding adoption of sustainable urban mobility plans by the major cities should result in accelerated growth of cycling share across the EU.  In the recent EU save energy communication, the Commission highlighted the importance of active mobility in reducing Europe’s dependence on fossil fuels. This could be measures supporting bike-sharing, incentivising bike purchases through bike-purchase subsidies or VAT reductions, incentives for employees that use public transport or active modes of commuting to work.  The proposed Energy Performance of Buildings Directive already foresees that public buildings should include sufficient parking spaces for bikes and e-bikes and further potential in combination with REpowerEU solar rooftop initiative and workstreams under the European Bauhaus. There are three more questions. Unfortunately, no time.  May I continue? Thank you so much.  So, in the response to the questions on inclusion of the EU bicycle industry in the list of EU industries covered by the EU industrial strategy, in line with the methodology used on their analyses of industrial ecosystems presented in the annual single market report 2021, the manufacture of bicycles has been explicitly included in the mobility transport automotive industrial ecosystem under the EU industrial strategy.  The next step in the co-creation process for that transition pathway will be the organisation of cross-sectoral roundtables in the second half of 2022, in which stakeholders from the EU bicycle industry will be invited to take part.  The manufacturing of bikes and e-bikes carries considerable potential in Europe, and the emergence of bike valleys and their surrounding value chains in Member States are highly relevant also for transporting employees with the right skills from, for example, jobs in the supply chain for internal combustion engines towards new jobs in this wider ecosystem for new mobility, including the manufacturing of e-bikes.  And last but not least, in response to the subquestion on the plans to develop EU-level requirements for safe and convenient cycling infrastructure, I would like to recall the following. Ensuring the safety of cycling infrastructure is largely the responsibility of local, regional and national governments. However, for cycling in urban areas in particular, the Commission has overseen the production of several guidance documents to help municipalities to incorporate cycling into sustainable urban mobility plans.  The road infrastructure safety management directive includes a number of provisions that are of relevance to cyclists when carrying out network-wide road safety assessments. Member States need to assess cycling crossings and the type of cycling facilities. According to the directive, the Commission should also provide guidance on quality requirements regarding vulnerable road users.  In conclusion, the actions I have just outlined will also help the implementation of the objectives of the smart and sustainable mobility strategy, which provides for doubling of the length of cycling infrastructure by 2030 from 2 300 kilometres to 5 000 kilometres, and for the more effective inclusion of the cycling as one of the TEN-T last mile solutions. Thank you very much and I look forward to your comments.