ECF's Secretary General Dr. Bernhard Ensink speaking at the 66th UNECE session in Geneva

 

Promoting cycling on international level

On international level, ECF sends a message to all international bodies and institutions that  cycling delivers not only sustainable, low carbon transport but also jobs, economic growth and health benefits. ECF works directly with the United Nations as their partner in the Transport, Health and Environment Pan-European Programme (THE PEP).  This partnership aims to develop a pan-European Master Plan for Cycling Promotion and to support governments in the development of national cycling promotion policies. To promote THE PEP Partnership, ECF and Cycling Industry Club member Accell Suisse took part in a side event organized at the Palais des Nations in Geneva during the 66th session of the United Nation’s Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in April this year. The three day side event received a lot of attention and it is an excellent example on how the industry works together ECF on policy advocacy. “We have the honor to enhance and increase the use and the safe design of bicycles, one of the biggest possible contributors to cut CO2 emissions in European cities. Together we can convince the EU and the UN Authorities that a better Europe and a better World will roll on two wheels”, said Moreno Fioravanti, representative of CONEBI and the Accell Group, who also attended the event. You can read more about what happened at the side event here.

Putting cycling on the EU-agenda

On EU level ECF speaks with the top tier decision-makers. Inspired by the THE PEP Partnership, ECF has initiated a European Roadmap for Cycling that helps to define objectives and deploy instruments for cycling promotion in Europe. Last May, ECF launched a think tank which brought together top officials from local and regional authorities, the European Commission, European Parliament, European Council, the World Health Organisation and the cycling industry to put the foundation on a European Roadmap for Cycling. Find our more about the think thank -meeting here. The momentum for the European Roadmap for Cyling is made especially propitious by upcoming Luxembourgish Presidency of the European Council. The ECF will join an informal meeting of EU transport ministers on October 7th 2015 in Luxembourg. For the first time ever a meeting on this level has been dedicated solely to cycling. This meeting gives us the perfect opportunity to present the Roadmap and encourage individual member states to implement a national cycling strategy based on the THE PEP  framework. The role of the CIC has been instrumental in the process. By working together with the CIC, we have been able to demonstrate the role that cycling plays in job creation and in electro-mobility which give powerful incentives to create the Roadmap. ECF's study on jobs and job creation in the cycling economy, that has been put together with the help of the industry, has quickly become one of the cornerstones of ECF’s advocacy work. Audiences are always surprised to learn about the number of jobs linked to cycling. Together we have shown the EU policy world that quality jobs are being created in the cycling industry in Europe. The new Gazelle factory in the Netherlands and the rise of electro-mobility in Germany are good examples of this.  

Michael Cramer, MEP, signing the Charter of Nantes at Velo-city 2015

 

Cycling happens at local level

Many concrete decisions that influence cycling, such as investments in cycling infrastructure, are taken on local level. ECF therefore reaches out to city officials and local administration to promote cycling at city level. The Velo-city conference is an excellent forum to reach out to local level decision makers; the conference attracts many city planners, officials and advocates that have the power to make a difference in their own city or region. ECF also has a dedicated network for cities that wish to promote bicycle use in urban areas called Cities for Cyclists.