Cycling takes a prominent stage at the current Dutch EU Presidency. From April 14 to June 30, the ‘Cycling Festival Europe’ will take place with activities in all 28 EU Member States. A pre-taste was given with the official launch of the campaign on February 14, Valentine’s Day, with photo shoots from Dutch Embassies across all Europe. 

With 36% of the Dutch population saying that the bicycle is their primary mode of transportation (Eurobarometer 422a), there is no country better suited in Europe to celebrate cycling than the Dutch. The campaign “Europe, let’s go cycling” was launched on Valentine's Day with the unveiling of the website www.cyclingfestivaleurope.eu which will provide an overview of the cycling activities that are going on in Europe during the Dutch presidency. The official kick-off of the campaign will be on 14 April 2016, when all 28 EU Ministers for environment and transport will meet in Amsterdam for a Council meeting. During this meeting, they will receive a ‘toolbox’ with best practices from all over Europe to promote cycling in their country.

ECF is very pleased with this prominent follow-up to the Luxembourg EU Presidency which culminated – from a cyclists’ point of view – in the adoption of the “Declaration of Luxembourg on cycling as a climate-friendly mode of transport” by the EU transport ministers, calling among other for an ‘EU strategic document on cycling’. The Cycling Festival Europe is a “constant reminder to the European Commission that it needs to deliver now on what EU Member States and the Parliament have been asking for: a genuine EU Cycling Strategy as a key instrument in delivering the paradigm shift transport desperately needs”, concludes Dr Bernhard Ensink, ECF’s Secretary General.