Putting the European Declaration on Cycling into Practice: Lessons from Across Europe

This case study showcases European initiatives that are advancing key principles of the 2024 European Declaration on Cycling. It presents four project examples that demonstrate tangible progress: empowering women through the TandEM cycling training programme; improving safety for vulnerable road users through Helsinki’s Vision Zero approach; strengthening Europe’s cycling industry via France’s 2030 investment programme; and enhancing multimodality and cycling tourism across the Danube region through the A2PT Action Plan.

Together, these initiatives show how coordinated action, innovation and cross-sector collaboration can expand cycling access, reduce road risks, create high-quality green jobs and support a more integrated and sustainable mobility system across Europe.

Context

Introduction to the European Declaration on Cycling

Adopted in 2024 by the European Parliament, Council, and European Commission, the European Declaration on Cycling sets out a shared vision for promoting cycling as a safe, inclusive, sustainable, and accessible mode of transport. It lays out commitments on policy development, infrastructure, investment, safety, industry growth, tourism and data collection, that together aim to strengthen cycling’s role in mobility systems and everyday life. 

This case study highlights four of the Declaration’s eight principles, selected to illustrate the diversity of themes it covers. Focusing on this subset allows us to explore how cycling policy can influence people, places, and industry, while highlighting specific projects that bring these ideas to life.

To set the stage for the project examples, we first take a closer look at each of the four principles covered in the case study, including the issues each address and the outcomes they aim for.

1. Health, inclusion and mobility

Regular cycling can reduce overall mortality by around 10%, highlighting its benefits for physical and mental health^[1]. Cycling also helps improve mobility for vulnerable groups, supporting social inclusion and providing opportunities for people of all ages, incomes, genders, and abilities. The principle of “Encouraging inclusive, affordable and healthy mobility”, aims to ensure cycling is accessible to all, while raising awareness of its health and social benefits.

2. Road safety and security

Cyclists account for roughly 10 % of road fatalities in the EU, highlighting the persistent safety challenges faced on European roads^[2]. Responding to these concerns, the principle of “Improving road safety and security”, focuses on reducing deaths and injuries, protecting vulnerable road users, strengthening safety standards, and improving education and awareness for both cyclists and drivers.

3. Economic growth and high-quality jobs

Europe’s cycling sector already supports an estimated 1.3 million jobs and contributes around €21 billion to GDP, illustrating its growing economic importance^[3]. The principle of “Supporting high-quality jobs and the development of a world-class European cycling industry”, seeks to boost European production of bikes and components, support circular and service-based business models, and position cycling as a strategic sector in a modern, sustainable EU economy.

4. Multimodality and cycling tourism

Cycling’s potential grows when it is well integrated with public transport, yet first- and last-mile gaps remain. The principle of “Supporting multimodality and cycling tourism” promotes better connections with public transport, bike-sharing schemes, and creating conditions that make cycling a convenient option for both everyday journeys and leisure across Europe.

The project spotlights that follow were chosen for their innovative ideas, practical solutions, and the lessons they offer on how these principles are being put into practice across Europe.

TandEm Women in Cycling Programme led by EIT Urban Mobility & BYCS

Principle: Encouraging inclusive, affordable and healthy mobility

The TandEM programme is a Europe-wide train-the-trainer initiative, that supports women to help other women gain skills and confidence in cycling. This programme has been running since 2022 to tackle the gender gap in cycling and opens opportunities for women to engage in active mobility. 

Actions

TandEM runs a structured training programme combining online learning with practical, in-person sessions focused on how to teach women to cycle for the first time, how to lead group cycle rides on the road, how to conduct basic bicycle maintenance, and how to organise their own programme to teach and support women to cycle. Following the sessions, each instructor is required to put their knowledge into action and organise cycle training lessons in their home community. Through this process, participants develop skills not only in cycling instruction, but also leadership, community building and civic engagement.

Peer-support networks, including mentoring clusters, WhatsApp groups, and follow-up sessions, help reinforce the implementation of the local training sessions. Through the programme, 45 women across 12 countries have organised local courses tailored to their communities, fostering inclusion and promoting cycling as an accessible, everyday activity. A fifth cohort is scheduled for spring 2026.

Results

Since 2022, the participants in the TandEM programme have gone on to support more than 250 women to improve their cycling skills and confidence. In the 2025 cohort: 

• 75 women participated in local trainings delivered by TandEM instructors.
• Over 75% of those participants reported increased confidence and improved cycling skills.
• More than 70% now cycle for daily trips (up from 40%).

In addition, the instructors reported enhanced empathy and leadership skills, and over 75% have continued their initiatives or launched new cycling initiatives beyond the programme, indicating lasting behavioural and community-level impact.

Challenges, opportunities and transferability

Most of the instructors were women who already wanted to advocate for cycling in their community. However, many reported that they did not feel they had the confidence or know-how to start their own initiative. They were sparked by the support and structure of the TandEM programme, which helped them take these initial steps. Step-by-step guidance, hands-on-practice, and peer support from the other programme participants helped overcome these challenges.

In preparation for their local training sessions, the instructors designed their curriculum, conducted outreach to recruit participants and volunteers, built partnerships with local organisations, sourced bicycles and identified safe practice spaces. They also led the instruction during the sessions, focusing not only on the mechanics of cycling but also social and cultural norms that discourage women from cycling. After the sessions were completed, the instructors followed up with the participants using a short survey to assess the impact.

Key lessons and opportunities 

• Structured training combined with a requirement to implement the training in practice is an effective method to build individual capacity and competences.
• Sparking civically minded citizens to start their own initiatives can have a lasting impact, as many will use the experience, contacts and confidence that they gain to lead additional actions in the future.
• A peer network, bringing together individuals with similar goals but from different countries and backgrounds, can provide critical support and build the foundation for cross-country learning and collaboration.
• There is a large hidden population who wish to cycle but do not feel they have the skills or ability to do so. The development of cycling infrastructure (“hard infrastructure”) must be complemented by on-the-ground actions that support all members of society to use that infrastructure, taking into account their specific barriers and needs (“human infrastructure”).

The TandEM Women in Cycling Programme shows how structured, community-focused approaches can increase cycling participation among women, strengthen skills and confidence, and create lasting behavioural change, advancing inclusive, affordable, and healthy mobility.

Helsinki Traffic Safety Development Programme 2022-2026 – Vision Zero

Principle: Improving road safety and security

Helsinki’s Traffic Safety Development Programme 2022-2026 demonstrates a comprehensive approach to creating safer conditions for pedestrians, cyclists and children by combining infrastructure improvements, speed management, traffic-calming measures and targeted education. By reshaping streets and prioritising vulnerable road users, Helsinki shows how cities can move towards eliminating serious injuries and fatalities.

Actions

A key focus has been reducing speeds across Helsinki:

• More than half of Helsinki’s streets now operate at 30km/h, significantly reducing the risk of severe injuries.
• 60 automatic speed cameras have been installed since 2020 to improve compliance. 

Helsinki has started redesigning streets and public spaces and will continue to work on this to prioritise pedestrians and cyclists: 

• Road widths were narrowed to slow motor traffic and free space for wider footpaths.
• One-way streets and speeds bumps were expanded.
• A 140km network of physically separated cycle paths keep cyclists protected from fast-moving traffic.

Pedestrian and cyclist crossings were also upgraded based on crash risk assessments, with clearer layouts and markings, raised crossings and improved alignments to shorten crossing distances and slow turning vehicles.

Results

Between August 2024 and July 2025, Helsinki recorded no traffic fatalities, marking a milestone towards its Vision Zero goal. Crash data show:

• Streets with reduced speed limits saw an 8-9% reduction in injury crashes compared to unchanged streets.
• Collisions involving children, pedestrians and cyclists have decreased.

Surveys indicate walking and cycling are increasingly perceived as safe, encouraging greater use of active travel. While outcomes cannot be attributed solely to the programme, results highlight the positive role of coordinated measures on improving road safety for vulnerable road users.

Challenges, opportunities and transferability

Redesigning streets and introducing enforcement measures required coordination between planning departments, traffic engineers, construction teams and enforcement authorities, making alignment of priorities and timelines complex.

Key lessons and opportunities 

• Evidence-based speed management, backed by automated enforcement, is among the most effective interventions for reducing injury risk.
• High-quality cycling infrastructure enhances both real and perceived safety, encouraging more people to cycle and reinforcing a positive safety culture. 

Helsinki’s approach provides a replicable model for European cities: combining speed reductions, infrastructure redesign and systematic risk assessment can deliver significant road safety improvements.

France 2030 Programme – Bicycle Industry Call for Projects

Principle: Supporting high quality jobs and the development of a world-class European cycling industry

In April 2024, the French government announced a €55 million investment to revitalise and expand the domestic bicycle industry. Managed by the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME) and embedded in the 2023-2027 cycling and walking plan, the programme supports companies across the bicycle value chain, from design and assembly to sustainable manufacturing and innovation. 

Actions

The programme targets three strategic areas:

1. Bicycle development and assembly: Supporting new assembly lines and factories to increase domestic production and generate skilled jobs.
2. Production of bicycle components and eco-design: Encouraging local production of key components (frames, batteries, motors) and promoting recyclable and repairable products, reducing import dependence and strengthening industrial resilience.
3. Technical innovation and demonstrators: Funding R&D projects for innovative solutions in the cycling sector.

The call is open to all bicycle-related companies or industrial firms wishing to diversify, regardless of size, individually or in a consortium. Projects should be sustainable, innovative and transformative.

Results

28 projects have been selected covering the production of spare parts, assembly and recycling for frames, trailers, batteries, cargo bikes and electric bikes.

The programme is already accelerating industrial investment and capacity:

• Annual bicycle assembly in France is projected to rise from 854,000 in 2022 to 1.4 million by 2025, reaching 2 million by 2030.
• This growth is expected to generate numerous high-quality skilled jobs in the cycling industry.
• The focus on research and development is anticipated to deliver technological breakthroughs in bicycle design, components and production processes with an emphasis on eco-design and sustainability, bringing additional environmental benefits.

Challenges, opportunities and transferability

Expected challenges include:

1. Skilled labour needs: Rapid expansion requires targeted training, upskilling and collaboration with technical institutes.
2. Coordinating diverse actors: Aligning start-ups and established manufacturers requires clear guidance, shared standards and effective coordination. 

Key lessons and opportunities:

• Strategic public investment can catalyse private industrial growth, quickly stimulating investment, capacity and innovation.
• Supporting the full value chain – components, assembly, recycling and R&D – builds an integrated industrial ecosystem less vulnerable to global supply disruptions.

Other Member States can adopt similar frameworks to develop domestic cycling industries, strengthen supply chains and create high-quality green jobs. France 2030 reinforces France’s position in the European cycling industry while contributing to economic resilience and sustainable industrial development. 

Danube A2PT Action Plan – Active2Public Transport Partnership

Principle: Supporting multimodality and cycling tourism

The A2PT Partnership, involving 11 project partners and 23 associated partners from 9 EU Member States and 5 non-EU countries, promotes a multimodal shift towards active and public transport across the Danube region. The project and the partnership are funded by the EU-Interreg Danube Region Programme and was initiated by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure (BMIMI), Department II/6.

Actions

1. Developing a coordinated transnational strategy

A shared strategy enhances connections between walking, cycling and public transport supported by regional A2PT working groups in Austria, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia. These bring together transport authorities, tourism organisations and local stakeholders to align cycling networks, visitor routes and public transport services. 

2. Testing practical multimodal innovations

Pilot activities test new solutions, including:

• Free public transport and bicycle trial schemes in Ulm, Bratislava, Burgenland and the Olomouc region.
• Street transformations in Ljubljana and in towns of the Austrian Region of Burgenland to improve walking and cycling access to stations.
• Installation of bike boxes in Novi-Beograd, Grosuplje as well as selected stations in Slovenia and Croatia for secure first/last-mile parking.
• Bike carriage on regional bus services (e.g. Southern Burgenland–Graz and cross-border Bratislava routes).
• Integrated hiking–bike–rail services in Sopron and West Hungary to strengthen active mobility tourism.
• Integrated ticketing, enhanced journey-planning apps and improved digital information tools in several partner regions.

3. Exchanging knowledge and creating practical tools

The partnership is developing the A2PT Toolbox, an interactive online platform providing curated solutions (good practices, design principles, business cases) for planners, decision-makers, operators, local and regional authorities and NGOs.

Results

The programme is strengthening knowledge, capacity and practical implementation across the Danube region, laying foundations for stronger multimodal and cycling tourism networks. 

• Institutional capacity building: 11 project partners and 23 associated partners have improved their capacity to plan and deliver A2PT infrastructure and services. A further 55 organisations will be involved in implementing the pilot actions and toolbox testing.
• Operational tools and policy integration: The A2PT Online Toolbox, now in development, will support informed multimodal decisions and transfer learning from project activities. It is being validated via draft versions, focus groups and an online survey and will be presented publicly in Ljubljana in June 2026. 

Challenges, opportunities & transferable lessons 

Key challenges include:

1. Behavioural barriers – Private car use is still perceived as more convenient than combining cycling, walking and public transport, underlining the need for implementing pilot actions showcasing the benefits of A2PT.
2. Multidimensional levels of infrastructure development – Barriers to linking active mobility with public transport include insufficient bike parking and signage, limited bike carriage capacity, and a lack of barrier-free interchanges. Poor connectivity to stations and low public awareness of multimodal benefits further hinder the integration of stops and stations with the catchment areas.
3. Fragmented competences and governance levels – Multiple landowners and overlapping responsibilities around stations complicate coordination between operators, municipal planners and infrastructure managers. 

Key lessons and opportunities:

• Different user groups (tourists, commuters, etc.) express the need for services better linking cycling/walking and public transport.
• Tourism can be a catalyst for multimodality, creating synergies that support sustainable travel.
• Bringing together cycling, walking and public transport experts – which traditionally are not cooperating – is crucial for generated common understanding of challenges and opportunities and is crucial for improving A2PT infrastructure and services.
• Transnational collaboration and shared tools such as the A2PT Toolbox increases awareness of possible solutions and leads to better decision making.

The project offers a strong example of how integrating cycling, public transport and tourism initiatives can advance the principle of supporting multimodality and cycling tourism across diverse regional contexts.

In depth

[1], [2], [3]; European Commission (2025) Report from the Commission to the council and the European Parliament. Available at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0566

A2PT & ECF ‘Danube Cycling Tourists Survey’ (2024):

• full report (2025, interreg-danube.eu, official A2PT website)
• summary report (2025, pro.eurovelo.com)

Active2Public Transport | Active2Public Transport

https://www.hel.fi/static/liitteet/kaupunkiymparisto/julkaisut/julkaisut/julkaisu-25-23.pdf 

TandEM Women in Cycling - EIT Urban Mobility

https://connectedcycle.com/en/e55-million-for-the-french-bicycle-industry/

France 2030: 28 new winners of the "bicycle industries" call for projects | Directorate-General for Enterprise

Author: Amy Nicholson

Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not reflect those of the European Commission. 

Photo credits ©  Business Agency Burgenland, captainX, NassornSnitwong, Nicolas Ospina Soriano, Šimon Juřík, stephane morisseau,