October 26, 2023 - A European Declaration on Cycling was adopted in Seville, Spain on Oct. 4 by the European Commission, recognizing cycling as a sustainable, accessible and inclusive, affordable and healthy means of transport, with strong added value for the EU economy.

Guiding principles to boost cycling in the EU include safe and coherent cycling networks in cities, better links with public transport, secure parking spaces, the deployment of charging points for e-bikes and bike highways connecting cities with rural areas.

The Declaration delivers on a pledge made earlier this year by former Commission Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans at the CIE Summit and follows an EU Parliament Resolution in February and a Belgium-led Member State Declaration signed by a majority of EU countries.

With eight principles and 36 commitments to boost cycling and support the delivery of climate targets and objectives of the European Green Deal, the Declaration consolidates the previous announcements and is expected to be finalized by the end of 2023 as a joint inter-institutional commitment.

Welcomed by key cycling advocacy groups such as the European Cyclists’ Federation, Cycling Industries Europe (CIE), and the Confederation of the European Bicycle Industry (CONEBI), the Declaration serves as a “strategic compass for existing and future policies to “unleash the full potential of cycling in the European Union.”