The European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) and cycling associations Cycling Industries Europe (CIE) and the Confederation of the European Bicycle Industry (CONEBI) enthusiastically welcomed the European Commission’s joint proposal, the European Declaration on Cycling, adopted on 4 October 2023. The proposed Declaration elevates cycling to a strategic priority and acknowledges its power to generate enormous benefits for Europe as a mode of transport and recreation. ECF illustrates how the Declaration aligns with enhancing cycle route networks, including EuroVelo and cycling tourism.

The comprehensive Declaration to unlock cycling’s full potential contains eight principles, including "creating more and better cycling infrastructure" and "supporting multimodality and cycling tourism". It reflects a clear political recognition of the role of cycle route networks at all levels to connect Europeans by bicycle and the potential for Europe to become the foremost cycling tourism destination in the world.

EuroVelo, the European cycle route network, is not mentioned in the Declaration but greatly contributes to Chapter III, “Creating more and better cycling infrastructure”. This chapter includes commitments to “significantly increasing safe and coherent cycling infrastructure across Europe” and “working towards creating a coherent cycling network in cities and improving connectivity between suburban and rural areas and city centres, including cycle highways”, which are also priority objectives of EuroVelo and ECF’s work on supporting the development of cycle route networks.

The rest area Ureddplassen along Scenic Route Helgelandskysten, which is a part of EuroVelo 1 - Atlantic Coast Route in Norway. (Photo: Steinar Skaar -  Statens vegvesen)

Another chapter is dedicated to “Supporting multimodality and cycling tourism”, including a commitment to “creating favourable conditions to support cycling as a sustainable means of recreation and tourism.” It includes commitments to create synergies between cycling and other modes of transport in urban, suburban and rural areas. As well as supporting bike-sharing schemes, last-mile solutions and “creating favourable conditions to support cycling as a sustainable means of recreation and tourism”.

Improving the collection of data on cycling is another priority, focusing on monitoring the implementation of the Declaration and developing statistics. This is encouraging, considering the need to further develop data on cycling tourism to complement the EuroVelo Data Hub managed by ECF and update the latest study on EuroVelo and cycling tourism, published in 2012.

The Declaration emphasises the relevance of cycle route networks and cycling tourism and confirms multiple expertise domains developed by ECF through EuroVelo. It is a promising first step that ECF is ready to further expand into concrete actions for implementation at a European level.

ECF has been closely involved in all of these developments and celebrates this historic European Cycling Declaration, which recognised cycling as “a key enabler of sustainable tourism” and contribution “to connectivity within and between rural and urban areas, especially in combination with trains, buses and other modes to create multimodal mobility services”.

Photo credit: The Hungarian Center for Development of Active and Ecotourism (AÖFK).

Cycling tourism is also vital in accelerating the green and digital transition of the EU tourism industry. On this topic, ECF is involved in the Transition Pathway for Tourism and the European Tourism Manifesto. In December 2022, the Council of the European Union published its Agenda for Tourism 2030, including references to promoting active mobility modes.

Learn more about the European Declaration on Cycling on ECF.com.

Cover photo - EuroVelo 8 - Mediterranean Route. Photo credit: The Region of Murcia.