June 30, 2022 - Cycling Industries Europe (CIE) and the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) gave an enthusiastic welcome to the announcement of a new EU Cycling Declaration by Commission Executive Vice-President (EVP) and EU Green Deal chief Frans Timmermans at a special conference in Copenhagen preceding the Grand Départ of the 2022 Tour de France in the city.
Both organisations have advocated that a unified EU cycling policy would place cycling on the same level as other modes of transport and industrial sectors in the EU, releasing more coherent policy support, consistency across EU member states and potentially billions more Euros for cycling investments.
Executive Vice President Timmermans acknowledged that the EU has a role to play in formulating cycling policy, saying that: “we must support more and new measures to grow cycling in Europe.” He announced that the EU Commission and EU Parliament will cooperate on the creation of an EU Cycling Declaration which is expected to bring all relevant policies together in one place. He also said that “everything should, where possible have a cycling dimension”, referring to EU environment, industrial and mobility policies.
He underlined that while the cycling revolution needs to happen in cities and towns the EU will fully support them, saying: “Solid plans will get priority access to funding” and “You cannot do it without cycling, and cycling will make it easier.”
ECF and CIE were pleased with recognition by the Commission of their strong case for more cycling as essential to achieving the EU’s bold climate, economic, industrial and social policy objectives, and more recently as a way to accelerate progress on the RePower EU plan to save energy and reduce dependency on Russian fossil fuel imports.
Speaking at the same event, MEP Karima Delli, Chair of the EU Parliament Committee on Transport and Tourism said that a Cycling Declaration will be fast-tracked. She said: “Good news, things are about to change, we need a tremendous increase in cycling infrastructure to decarbonise the transport sector.”
Jill Warren, ECF CEO said: “This is a great day for cycling in Europe. We particularly welcome the joined-up approach outlined by EVP Timmermans that should incorporate a number of our longstanding policy demands. It is expected to encompass all aspects of cycling and recognise it as the fully-fledged mode of transport that it is. An EU Cycling Declaration will help realise cycling’s enormous further potential with more support and funding for high quality, safe and connected infrastructure in all areas from urban to rural.”
Kevin Mayne, CIE CEO said: “This is an important milestone for us – we have called for the recognition of cycling as an industry of strategic importance in the EU since the day we were founded. We are extremely satisfied with the positive recognition given by EVP Timmermans in his speech. We are committed to delivering thousands of high quality green jobs in Europe and we look forward to working with the Commission to place our industrial strategy into the EU Cycling Declaration.”
Today’s embrace of cycling by the European institutions and the strong support shown by the Danish hosts in Copenhagen are a cause for celebration for cycling civil society and industry. CIE and ECF, together with our members, partners and stakeholders, stand ready to help shape and implement the EU Cycling Declaration, and to ensure Europe will continue to lead the way.
