Day: August 1, 2022

(Published on Eltis at the request of the European Commission)

Introduction and context

The Communication on the new EU Urban Mobility Framework (UMF) (COM(2021)811 final), adopted on 14 December 2021 as part of the Efficient and Green Mobility Package, states that a multi-level, integrated governance approach to manage urban mobility, is needed as part of the drive towards climate neutrality. According to it, ‘a reinforced platform for dialogue and the co-creation of new actions to implement the new EU urban mobility framework is needed with a stronger engagement of Member States and a better dialogue with cities, regions and stakeholders on all urban mobility issues.’

To this end, a relevant Commission Decision (C(2022) 5320) setting up the Commission expert group on urban mobility (the group) was adopted on 28 July 2022.

In accordance with Article 2 of the above-mentioned Decision, the group’s tasks shall be:

• to assist the Commission in implementing the new EU urban mobility framework;
• to advise and provide technical expertise to the Commission on developing and implementing future-proof and innovation-friendly legislation, policies, projects and programmes in the field of sustainable urban mobility, for example through recommendations, opinions, reports or analyses, contributing to a healthy urban environment;
• to develop cooperation and coordination between the Commission, Member States and stakeholders on questions relating to the implementation of EU legislation, programmes and policies in the field of urban mobility, including sustainable urban mobility planning, transport contingency preparedness and energy efficiency;
• to foster exchanges of experience and good practices in the field of sustainable urban mobility, including in cross-border regions;
• to advise the Commission on how to develop synergies between EU, national and regional funding and financing opportunities in research, innovation, development and deployment of safe, healthy, energy efficient and sustainable urban mobility solutions for a better quality of life;
• to facilitate exchanges of information on initiatives, projects and partnerships on sustainable urban mobility, including the EU mission on climate-neutral and smart cities.

In accordance with Article 4 of the Commission Decision, the group’s members shall be:

The following have been identified as priority areas in the UMF and should be reflected in the membership of the group:

• public transport and accessibility;
• shared and active mobility;
• zero-emission fleets;
• urban logistics and first and last-mile delivery;
• coordination between national SUMP programme managers and the SUMP Coordination Platform Group;
• urban vehicle access regulations;
• rural-urban linkages.

Selection of group members representing Member States’ authorities at the regional and local level

Eligibility criteria  

Any EU city counting at least 10,000 inhabitants may submit an expression of interest in becoming a member of the Expert group on urban mobility. Entities will be eligible to submit an expression of interest if their local authority or their mandated representative represents one city defined as a Local Administrative Unit, or a “greater city” or metropolitan region, while taking account of the whole Functional Urban Area (consisting of a city and its commuting zone) where relevant.

Focus is on cities, but regional authorities representing NUTS 2 and NUTS 3 regions may also submit an expression of interest to become a member

Selection criteria 

The following criteria will be applied when selecting the members representing local and regional authorities:

• geographical balance: distribution across the EU as well as within the individual Member States, and geographical diversity;
• size: a balanced mix of small, medium, bigger and large cities;
• level of involvement in EU initiatives relevant to urban mobility and in EU funded urban mobility projects;
• level of ambition, including existing targets and commitment to sustainable urban mobility, e.g. reflected in a  sustainable urban mobility plan (SUMP);
• hierarchical level, expertise and knowledge of the English language of the proposed representatives;
• willingness and capacity to actively participate in the work of the group.

The Commission will select up to 20 members representing local and regional authorities.

Requested information

Local and regional authorities interested in becoming members of the group are invited to complete the requested information and submit it using the form here.

This call for expression of interest is intended to support the Commission in the selection of group members representing Member States’ authorities at the regional and local level.

It will be open for 6 weeks, from 1/08/2022 until 9/09/2022.

The first meeting of the group is envisaged to take place in 4Q 2022.

In case of questions on the content, please contact the Secretariat of Unit B3 of DG MOVE: MOVE-B3-SECRETARIAT@ec.europa.eu.

On 12 July 2022, the International Association for Public Transport (UITP) signed the “Lecco Declaration” with the aim of improving accessibility in public transport. The document defines a framework of core principles regarding accessibility, thus setting the framework for the implementation of effective measures.

The key objectives and principles of the Lecco Declaration are the following:

• To guarantee personal mobility and freedom of movement as a human right;
• To recognise the relationship between mobility and other rights, such as participation, access to education and employment;
• To provide accessible public transport to all, contributing to achieving social and environmental policies and principles, connecting people and places and fostering social and economic development;
• To support the development of new technological solutions, thus reducing and possibly helping to overcome barriers to mobility.

The declaration was also signed by the Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology (AAATE) and the European Network of Independent Living (ENIL). These organisations work and collaborate as partners in TRIPS, an EU-funded project focused on improving public transport accessibility for people with reduced mobility by developing new design concepts regarding, for instance, the removal of barriers to mobility in urban areas.

During the accompanying meeting, a variety of European associations and policy makers discussed the importance of implementing smarter, greener, and more accessible transport for all. The approach adopted in the TRIPS project is currently being tested in 7 European pilot cities: Bologna and Cagliari (Italy), Brussels (Belgium), Sofia (Bulgaria), Stockholm (Sweden), Lisbon (Portugal) and Zagreb (Croatia).

UITP’s Secretary General, Mohamed Mezghani, noted that the biggest challenge is to ensure that all transport stakeholders are willing to adopt measures that improve transport accessibility and for these organisations to coordinate their efforts. Thanks to the Lecco Declaration, the focus is now shifting towards users’ needs, helping to educate the sector and improving transport accessibility not only for people with reduced mobility but for everyone. According to UITP, having access to barrier-free mobility does not mean that the sector will be 100% accessible, but rather that it should help people move in cities using multimodal transport services, guiding them towards the best travel choice for the individual.

Engaging with users helps transport carriers, authorities and industry providers understand users’ needs, make informed decisions, draft adequate policies based on direct feedback and ensure that public transport services are functional. Mobility solutions need to be safer, more sustainable, and more inclusive, while reducing air pollution and improving social cohesion and employment.

For more information read the Lecco Declaration here.

Original article published by Intelligent Transport on 18 July 2022.