On Wednesday, 20 March, the leaders of over 200 major European cities—gathered as part of the Eurocities network—called for the creation of an integrated urban and long-distance transport network.
They want cities to be given a central role in preparing big transport investment plans. They also want to support the relaunch and expansion of the European long-distance rail network as a sustainable alternative to flying. They issued a series of recommendations in preparation for the next European mandate.
“As we approach the EU elections, these recommendations lay a roadmap for future EU policymakers to shape sustainable urban mobility across Europe and achieve the ambitious climate-neutral objectives of the European Green Deal”, emphasised André Sobczak, secretary general of Eurocities.
In particular, Eurocities recommends encouraging the EU to provide guidance and funding for projects that aim to reduce traffic as well as setting firm targets for phasing out fossil-fuel vehicles and tackling the decarbonisation of vehicle categories that are lagging behind.
They would also like for information on urban vehicle access regulations (UVARs) to be improved by making it easier for drivers to access information on UVARs and by supporting the cross-border enforcement of these regulations among Member States.
Read the guidance document: https://aeur.eu/f/bhd (Original version in French by Anne Damiani)