London – May 23, 2017
The CONEBI General Assembly held in London on 23rd May gathered not only the CONEBI Members and Directors but also several important guests, among which the European Commission’s Focal Point for Cycling Mr Rapacz.
The Focal Point for Cycling was appointed last year after the informal Council meeting of the EU Transport Ministers – organized during the Luxembourg Presidency – where EU Member States adopted the “Declaration on Cycling as a climate friendly Transport Mode”, which indeed foresees an European Focal Point for Cycling within the European Commission to serve as (a) a one-stop-shop for cycling related questions, (b) to facilitate the exchange of best practices among Member States.
As clearly stated by the Commission, ”Cities are home to over 70 % of the EU population and account for some 85 % of the Union’s GDP. Most journeys begin and end in cities. In many urban areas, however, increasing demand for urban mobility has created a situation that is not sustainable: severe congestion, poor air quality, noise emissions and high levels of CO2 emissions. Urban congestion jeopardises the EU’s goals for a competitive and resource-efficient transport system”. So, given the mentioned context, Mr Rapacz – who deals on a broader level with Urban Mobility – gave a very useful presentation on behalf of the European Commission about the EU policy for sustainable urban mobility with a focus on Cycling.
Mr Rapacz went through many topics: the 2013 Urban Mobility Package, the SUMPs (Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans), the recommendations for coordinated action on urban access regulations, ITS deployment and road safety, the EU financial support and tools, the Urban Mobility Observatory – ELTIS – but also the Member States Expert Group and the CIVITAS initiative.
For more info on the mentioned topics, please do not hesitate to contact the CONEBI Secretariat.
