European Parliament calls to double cycling in Europa 2030
The European Parliament’s Resolution on developing an EU Cycling Strategy tasks the European Commission with doubling the number of kilometers cycled in Europe by 2030. The call marks a recognition of cycling as a fully-fledged mode of transport and key industrial asset to meet long-term climate and clean manufacturing objectives.
The European Parliament’s adopted today, 16 February 2023, almost unanimously in Strasbourg, sets out a 17-point action plan to develop more cycling infrastructure, lay fertile ground in Europe for bike, component and battery production, and grow two million jobs in a ‘cycling ecosystem’ covering manufacturing, tourism, retail, health and sports that already employs one million people in Europe today.
The European Parliament’s resolution for an EU cycling strategy is legally non-binding, but is a key document to shape future policy priorities and decisions for which the Parliament can hold the European Commission accountable.
The Resolution calls for a range of specific actions to enable and grow cycling, including, for example:
- Significantly increase investments in safe, separated cycling infrastructure and integrate cycling into urban frameworks
- Take cycling into account when building or upgrading Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) infrastructure
- Include the cycling industry in the mobility ecosystem of EU industrial strategy
- Support the production of “Made in Europe” bicycles and components
- Enable the creation of additional high-quality green jobs in the cycling industry
- Increase the accessibility and affordability of bicycles
- Accelerate the development of the EuroVelo network, the European cycle route network, and its 17 routes
- Promote cycle friendly workplaces
- Enable safe and secure bike parking spaces and charging capacity for e-bikes
- Designate 2024 as the European Year of Cycling
