The European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) has released 27 country-specific guides which aim to help local and regional authorities unlock investments in cycling through the EU Structural Funds.
The ECF is pushing for modal shift towards cycling, and this will require sustained investment. In particular, there is a need for safe and comfortable cycle routes in urban, peri-urban and rural areas throughout Europe.
There are currently two main sources of EU funding available to achieve this:
- The EU Structural Funds as part of the regular EU budget
- The Recovery and Resilience Facility which was set up to address the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
With 2021 marking the beginning of the new 7-year Multiannual Financial Framework of the EU, there is a significant opportunity to obtain significant EU funds for cycling. To this end, the ECF encourages authorities to include pro-cycling initiatives in the programming documents for the European Regional Development Fund. In order to trigger significant modal shift, the ECF estimates that in the upcoming financial period (2021-2027), EUR 6 billion of investment into cycling infrastructure will be required.
The 27 detailed country guides outline show how to apply for EU funds, as well as outlining how the development of cycling transport and tourism can benefit national and local economies. Country specific evaluations are provided, and the benefits of cycling investments are outlined which can also help tackle many country-specific challenges. Several good practice examples are identified both in terms of cycling projects and references to cycling in programming documents.
Further information on the country specific guides EU funding for cycling can be found in the following websites:
Details
- Publication date
- 10 December 2020
- Topic
- Walking and cycling
- Country
- Europe-wide