Outcomes from the first National SUMP Support Programme Workshop

In March 2023, the European Commission adopted a Recommendation calling on each Member State to put in place a national programme to help cities with sustainable urban mobility planning, namely, National SUMP Support Programmes (NSSPs). To support with the development and implementation of these programmes, country representatives have been invited to participate in series of workshops. The key objective is to establish a knowledge-sharing network among experts involved in NSSP activities. 

The first introductory workshop took place on 11 June 2024, organised and hosted by JASPERS, in collaboration with the European Commission. It attracted 81 attendees, with 20 present in person and 61 participating online, primarily consisting of individuals responsible for coordinating NSSPs at either national or regional levels. This included representatives from relevant ministries or national transport authorities involved in the national support programmes.

The introductory workshop hosted valuable discussions on a range of aspects related to NSSPs and SUMPs. Some key points raised included:

• The need for compliance with the Commission’s TEN-T Regulation regarding SUMP development; 
• Funding and financial support for SUMP development and implementation; 
• Alignment between national and local strategies;
• The national SUMP platform, stakeholder engagement and cooperation between different levels of governance;
• Adaptation of SUMP guidelines to national contexts;
• Integration of urban logistics within SUMPs;
• Quality assessments of SUMPs;
• The value of an NSSP in institutionalising the sustainable mobility paradigm within transport planning and engineering. 

Follow this link for more information, including to the presentation materials from the workshop.