In April 2019 the revision of the directive 2008/96/EC on Road Infrastructure Safety Management Directive was officially accepted by the European Parliament plenary. The legislative resolution includes many important improvements that ECF has lobbied for in the past two years.

It is worth noting that taking into account the needs of cyclists in the legislation was a consensus across the whole political spectrum. The work of the Committee on Transport and Tourism was presented by rapporteur Daniela Aiuto from the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy group (EFDD). Violeta Bulc, European Commissioner for Transport seconded: “[...] special attention will be paid to vulnerable road users like motorcyclists and cyclists, for example, by focusing on visible markings, dedicated bike lanes and similar.” “The structure of the transport has changed; we have many cyclists” noticed MEP Maria Grapini from the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D). MEP Mark Demesmaeker from the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) stressed the need for EU-level guidance for cycling infrastructure:

With this directive, the European Union can and will contribute to improving road safety, by developing quality requirements for infrastructure for pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users and by systematically taking them into account in road safety procedures.

Out of the 582 members of the European Parliament present, as many as 534 voted for the revision, with only 37 against and 11 abstaining. The updated directive is expected to be published in the Official Journal of the European Union in autumn 2019.

After publication, the EU Member States will have two years to transpose the update into national regulations. In the coming months ECF will offer webinars and workshops for its member organisations and the Cities and Regions for Cyclists network with more detailed information about opportunities created by the new regulations.

See also:
European Parliament legislative resolution
Transcript from the plenary debate