Opinion Factsheet

The new Urban Mobility Framework

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Opinion Number: CDR 952/2022

Commission: COTER

Status: Adopted

Date: 11/10/2022

THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

- highlights that the significant modal shift towards public and active transport modes envisaged by the new UMF and the SSMS will only be possible with strengthened and coordinated support from public authorities at EU, national and local and regional levels; insists […] that the European Commission should reinforce direct consultation of European cities and their associations in its ongoing and future work on indicators for SUMPs;

- recalls the chronic underfunding of public transport infrastructure over recent decades, and emphasises the need to increase EU funding to accelerate the mobility transition and support LRAs in the investments required to meet the EU's sustainability targets;

- emphasises the environmental and societal benefits of active mobility such as walking and cycling, including particularly in the domain of public health, and calls for an ambitious approach in the forthcoming updated SUMP guidance;

- regrets […] that the most polluting transport modes in cities occupy the largest part of public space dedicated to mobility; requests urgently that the European Commission encourage, through new financing, local authorities to give this space back to more active mobility and strong and well-structured public transport; [recalls that] about half of all motorised trips for the transport of goods within European cities could be shifted to bicycles;

- highlights the importance of the development and modernisation of rail infrastructure, especially in areas where there is evidence of significant deterioration, and [of] developing support schemes; insists that revenue from the CO2 tax should be channelled into the rail or cycling network ;

- emphasises that the need to address mobility poverty is critical in the interests of social, economic and territorial cohesion; points to the need for measures to encourage the deployment of on-demand public transport services, especially in peripheral and outermost rural areas, and calls on the Commission to provide support; calls also for additional support for smaller cities;

- calls for an EU-wide exchange of best practices on the affordability of public transport; further asks the European Commission to conduct a study on the feasibility of implementing a free public transport system across the EU in order to incentivise modal shift.

Importance

High

Medium

Low

Adoption by TRAN committee of draft EP resolution on the New Urban Mobility Framework

Uptake of a series of recommendations from the CoR opinion (incl. recommendation for an EU-wide car-free day, improved road safety measures such as a 30 km/h speed limit in certain urban areas, awareness-raising for drivers and protection of vulnerable road users, improved infrastructure for walking and cycling ,multi-modal ticketing).

20 Mar

EU Road Safety Results Conference 2022

The COTER Chair was invited by Commissioner VALEAN to take part in the opening session of the 2022 edition of the EU Road Safety Results Conference together with EP TRAN Chair, Karima Delli, and Martin Kupka, Minister of Transport, on behalf of the Czech Council Presidency. Mr BOC delivered an introductory statement on behalf of the CoR and took part in the subsequent panel discussion, drawing notably on the key messages set out in the CoR opinion on the New Urban Mobility Framework.

08 Dec

Annual meeting of the POLIS (Cities and Regions for Transport Innovation) Political Group

The rapporteur was invited to address the Political Group of the POLIS Network, which brings together mayors and transport policy advisors from cities and regions across the EU. Together with EP TRAN Chair, Karima Delli, and EU Cities Mission Manager, Patrick Child, Ms GAASCH gave an introductory statement on behalf of the CoR and took part in the subsequent strategic discussion with POLIS members.

02 Dec

Expert Group on Urban Mobility (EGUM)

Participation of the CoR in the first meeting of the reformed Expert Group on Urban Mobility (EGUM).

25 Oct

Participation of rapporteur Linda Gaasch in EP REGI Committee meeting

The rapporteur presented the key messages of the CoR opinion during the discussion of the report by the REGI Committee (associated Committee) on the New Urban Mobility Framework.
The intervention by was well received, with several REGI members expressing their support for the key messages highlighted. REGI Chair Younous Omarjee thanked the CoR for its input and commented on the REGI Committee's role at the interface between cohesion and sustainable mobility. He also recalled REGI's responsibility for urban-rural connectivity and the urgent need to mitigate increasing social fragmentation by ensuring improved connectivity, as highlighted by the CoR opinion.

24 Oct

Recommendations from CoR opinion taken up in AMs tabled in TRAN Committee.

20 Oct

Recommendations from CoR opinion taken up in AMs tabled in TRAN Committee

A series of the recommendations set out in the CoR opinion were taken up in amendments tabled by members of the EP's TRAN Committee.