Luxembourg, 08/10/2015 (Agence Europe) - At the informal Transport Council meeting on Wednesday 7 October, transport ministers unanimously adopted an unprecedented declaration on cycling which recognises the major role it has in developing multimodal transport and tackling climate change.
This was the very first meeting devoted exclusively to cycling, noted Luxembourg Transport Minister François Bausch. The purpose of the meeting was to improve European policy on cycling and to make European citizens more aware of this alternative form of transport.
The Luxembourg minister stressed, too, the need to abide by the subsidiarity principle, underlining the role of local authorities in promoting cycling. He also emphasised the economic value of cycling, “since hundreds of thousands of jobs are linked to this sector, particularly in tourism”.
Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc pointed out that cycling was the most efficient and cleanest form of transport for distances of less than seven kilometres. She added that cycling contributes “directly to growth and new business models”, bringing changes in the transport of goods in intra-urban areas (concept of “last mile logistics”).
The declaration sets out a series of recommendations, including: - integrating cycling in policies promoting “multi-modality” in transport; - developing a European strategy with a list of objectives that fall within the powers of the EU and linking them in with existing initiatives, such as CIVITAS and Smart Cities and Communities; - identifying existing instruments and funds that could contribute to promoting cycling and cycling-related jobs.
The member states also pledged to share good practice within the framework of the pan-European transport, health and environment programme and to improve infrastructure so as to promote this form of transport. “Multi-modality” initiatives were also to be encouraged.
“As of now, cycling is an official form of transport”, said the transport commissioner. “We have agreed a declaration but we have to transform it into reality because this is the first time that a text has been produced. … France wants there to be a follow-up so that a real European policy can be put in place” with an allocated budget, French Secretary of State for Transport Alain Vidalies told a group of journalists on the sidelines of the ministerial meeting (our translation throughout). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)