A majority of Members of the European Parliament voted today for an EU Roadmap for Cycling to be included in the European Commission Work Programme for the coming year. While voting for their report on the White Paper on Transport, the members of the Committee on Transport and Tourism decided that an EU Roadmap for Cycling would be an apt instrument to further EU transport policy objectives. A Think-Tank meeting organized by the European Cyclists’ Federation in May 2015 concluded that the Roadmap should assimilate and align the current initiatives of the different Directorates-General of the Commission, in addition to allowing for the formation of further policy measures conducive to a modal shift towards cycling. Think Tank EU Roadmap for Cycling_ECF synopsis 22 05

Apart from said Roadmap, the MEPs also stressed the need for the collection of better data on European transport users, especially as regards walking and cycling. Completing the established legislative framework for passenger rights was also voted on, and it was emphasized that bicycle carriage on trains should be facilitated. Additionally, the committee’s report calls for the review of the General Safety Regulation (661/2009) and the Pedestrian Protection Regulation (78/2009) for motor vehicles to include Intelligent Speed Assistance and to make lorries/HGVs safer. Having made enormous progress in bringing the EU Roadmap for Cycling onto the Parliament’s radar, the European Cyclists’ Federation thanks its campaign coalition partners: Polis, EUROCITIES, Transport & Environment, the European Transport Safety Council and Conebi.

Equally importantly, the adoption of the report bodes immensely well for the informal meeting by the Luxembourg Presidency of the European Council on October 07 which will be solely dedicated to cycling. ECF will use that opportunity to ask the transport ministers of the Member States to follow today’s European Parliament TRAN Committee recommendation towards the European Commission in developing an EU Roadmap for Cycling. The European Parliament plenary shall confirm the Committee vote in its September session.