Rapporteur : Patrik SCHWARCZ-KIEFER, Member of the County Council of Baranya Vármegye

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS (CoR)

Introduction

1.

notes that transport poverty in all its dimensions is increasingly prevalent in the regions, in particular in the more disadvantaged areas and cities of the European Union and draws attention to the fact that connectivity is essential for the economic, social and territorial cohesion of EU territories; also stresses that transport poverty has a differentiated impact on women, single-parent families, young people, elderly people, people with disabilities and low-income groups, who face higher mobility barriers, and therefore underlines the need for targeted, place-based solutions that reflect these diverse realities;

2.

underlines that access to mobility should be recognised as a fundamental social right and an essential precondition for equal opportunities, social inclusion and democratic participation; stresses that mobility is not merely an economic enabler but a core public service that allows all citizens to access education, employment, healthcare and political life; highlights that safeguarding universal, affordable and sustainable mobility is therefore indispensable for strengthening trust in public institutions and democratic resilience across all territories; also highlights the importance of creating synergies with horizontal programmes such as national anti-poverty strategies, and calls for transport poverty to be addressed, inter alia, in the forthcoming EU Anti-Poverty Strategy and in the EU Affordable Housing Plan;

3.

highlights the role of publicly-funded public transport in creating accessibility and in connecting urban and rural areas. Public transport is particularly important for those who, for example, do not have a car, a driving licence or other options;

4.

highlights the commitment of local and regional authorities to achieving the EU’s transition objectives on mobility and the decarbonisation of the transport sector, insofar as this does not have negative consequences for citizens and operators. The Committee stresses that local and regional authorities have already supported a large number of investments, innovations and initiatives to achieve these objectives, even though the transport sector has been underfunded for decades;

5.

underlines that transport poverty manifests differently across EU territories, and that regions facing permanent geographical or demographic constraints – including island regions, outermost regions, mountainous areas, sparsely populated areas and territories with limited connectivity – require tailored policy responses; stresses that references to such territories throughout this opinion are to be understood in this broader place-based context, in line with Articles 174 and 175 TFEU;

6.

points out that the recurring lack of budgetary resources has unfortunately compelled certain local and regional authorities to make difficult decisions between maintaining the frequency of public transport services and investing in the decarbonisation of fleets; emphasises the need for a gradual, place-based and technology-neutral approach to decarbonisation, in which all available zero- and low-emission technologies can play a role and where the EU climate goals are supported by reinforced resources on the ground for particularly onerous investments, such as the transition to clean buses in less densely populated territories;

7.

reiterates that adequate transport services are essential for the competitiveness of the EU, as highlighted, for example, in the Competitiveness Compass, and draws attention to the fact that infrastructure development does not bring anything in itself but that the key factor is the service it provides, as long as the area in question has a minimum level of transport infrastructure;

8.

stresses that the finances of publicly-funded public transport are already strained and in many places are still recovering from the pandemic. Further cost increases due to higher prices for petrol, diesel and alternative fuels risk both reducing transport supply and increasing ticket prices. These consequences could, in turn, particularly impact people experiencing transport poverty;

9.

stresses that the future resources of the Social Climate Fund will play a key role in ensuring that the benefits of the green transition are realised while its costs and burdens, which in the short term fall particularly heavily on vulnerable groups, are shared fairly and do not disproportionately affect the most disadvantaged social groups and regions. Furthermore, the Committee stresses the need to develop measures which are likely to make a tangible difference to the provision of public transport services on the ground in the short-term, in addition to serving the long-term objectives, with particular attention given to vulnerable groups, especially those for whom daily commuting is essential;

10.

stresses that transport poverty is particularly acute in sparsely populated regions, in island and other geographically disadvantaged territories, and in areas with below-average economic development, where residents face greater barriers to accessibility; and underlines the need to address inter-regional transport disparities to ensure equal opportunities across territories;

11.

draws attention to the fact that transport poverty is in many respects a cross-border phenomenon and is therefore an obstacle to the full integration of the single market. The Committee stresses that this challenge cannot be addressed only at Member State level and that stronger cooperation between border regions and the countries concerned is therefore necessary, with the support of the EU and calls for a greater role of the state in developing existing infrastructure and improving transport equipment;

National social climate plans – active subsidiarity is needed

12.

welcomes the European Commission’s recent recommendations, in particular that the regulation establishing a Social Climate Fund makes involvement of local and regional authorities in drawing up national plans mandatory and, more generally, strengthens their role in developing, implementing and monitoring effective solutions to tackle transport poverty; when designing their national social climate plans Member States are urged to take into account the specificities of territories facing geographical disadvantages, including islands, as also highlighted in the recent Commission Recommendation on transport poverty (1);

13.

notes that the submission of the national social climate plans to the European Commission is lagging behind and regrets that, in many Member States, the lower levels of government have not been involved or have been only partially involved in their development. The Committee calls on national governments that have not yet done so to ensure compulsory cooperation with local and regional authorities throughout the process;

14.

calls on the European Commission to ensure that social climate plans, budget allocations, progress reports and results at local and regional level are made public in a clear and accessible manner, and points out that national plans should address all aspects of transport (affordability, availability, accessibility, sufficiency);

15.

points out that the resources of the Social Climate Fund alone will not be sufficient to permanently eradicate transport poverty and draws attention to the importance of integrated and coordinated use of EU financial instruments, including cohesion policy, the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and other relevant funds to find effective solutions that take the territorial dimension and population density into account; emphasises that transport poverty, like energy poverty, is both a social and climate challenge and therefore requires integrated solutions that address affordability, emissions reduction and territorial cohesion together and points to the potential for the Social Climate Fund to make greater use of the existing Cohesion policy framework in particular to this end;

16.

notes that cohesion policy provides a ‘ready-to-use’ framework implementing place-based solutions and recommends that Member States make use of the possibility to reallocate 15 % of their national resources from the Social Climate Fund to cohesion policy, thus facilitating the rapid deployment of local investments to alleviate transport poverty; also notes that cohesion policy, which is an important tool for investments, is limited – due to the rules on eligibility of expenditure – in its ability to support the management and provision of services, which is a key factor for combatting transport poverty;

Different regional forms of transport poverty and the need for a place-based approach

17.

notes that the cost of transport is generally considered to be sufficiently affordable if household transport expenditure does not exceed 6 % of total expenditure, but points out that in 2023 and 2024 the average household transport expenditure in the EU was between 10 % and 20 %. The Committee calls on Eurostat to collect data on the rate of transport cost overburden broken down by region and suggests that, when determining the cost of time spent in transport, account should also be taken of the amount of work that people have to carry out in order to bear the costs associated with the use of transport;

18.

welcomes the Commission’s emphasis on the fact that national social climate plans must enable local and regional actors to identify, plan and implement appropriate measures that reflect the place-based approach needed to tackle different types of transport poverty;

19.

draws attention to the need to minimise the financial and administrative burden on local and regional authorities arising from the preparation and implementation of national social climate plans and suggests, in this regard, exploiting synergies with existing cohesion policy mechanisms;

20.

stresses the importance of implementation frameworks that enable solutions tailored to local needs and challenges and refers in this regard to territorial investment instruments already available in cohesion policy, in particular Integrated Territorial Investments (ITI) and Community-led Local Development (CLLD);

21.

stresses the importance of involving the local population in developing place-based solutions, especially in smaller and more remote municipalities, and highlights the role of awareness-raising in boosting the social acceptance of the green transition. The Committee also draws attention to the fact that the lack understanding of transport poverty and the inability to solve this problem significantly increases dissatisfaction not only with the EU but also with the state;

Recommendations for a successful transition

22.

points out that strategic measures should be supported by sustainable actions that can be put in place in the short term and deliver results quickly. This could include regulatory and technical flexibility for local and regional public transport services, including cross-border services, with regulatory support depending on the social situation, or compensation for the increase in fuel costs caused by the ETS 2 from 2027 in regions where car use is the only realistic mobility option;

23.

points out that the development of public transport services often does not require significant investment in infrastructure. In many cases, smaller measures (such as installation of pavements, additional bus stops or bicycle parking spaces) can significantly improve the availability of transport options. The Committee also notes that such interventions require local knowledge and a place-based delivery mechanism, as guaranteed by the current cohesion policy framework;

24.

underlines the importance of digital accessibility and smart mobility solutions for ensuring transport inclusion, particularly for the most disadvantaged social groups and in territories facing specific challenges in terms of intermodality, such as islands, where physical connections are limited and digital tools can help to reduce isolation and improve access to mobility options; calls for this dual approach combining sustainable mobility and the leveraging of the potential of digital tools to address specific local challenges to be reinforced under Cohesion policy going forward, as well as in the context of the Social Climate Fund and other relevant instruments;

25.

stresses that transport poverty is closely linked to, and often a consequence of, education, housing and employment problems, and that approaches that focus solely on eradicating transport poverty can only lead to sustainable outcomes as part of a balanced labour and housing market, and vice versa, as suitable transport services can help to relieve pressure on the housing market in certain areas;

26.

recommends channelling direct income support (such as a voucher system) in cases where access to public transport is very limited or practically impossible (e.g. for some people with disabilities) and stresses that the Social Climate Fund should be used strategically as a resource in order to further strengthen the public transport system beyond a simple compensation approach and ensure its long-term resilience; also flexible mobility solutions – such as on-demand transport, community-based mobility schemes and multimodal mobility hubs – can significantly improve accessibility, especially where traditional high-frequency services are not feasible;

27.

notes that bottom-up transport solutions can be highly effective at local level, but stresses that their long-term success depends on adequate financial resources and sustained investment in physical infrastructure;

28.

stresses that the Social Climate Fund and cohesion policy resources for mobility alone are not sufficient to eradicate transport poverty and therefore calls on national governments to use part of their revenue from ETS 1 and ETS 2 to support local and regional authorities in their efforts to ensure sustainable and fair mobility;

29.

points out the essential role of public service obligations (PSOs) in the provision of transport services in the public interest as an important contribution to reducing transport poverty, and supports calls – such as the one made in the Letta report to develop an ‘action plan for high-quality services of general interest in Europe’ – for a more systematic use of public services so that all citizens and all territories can reap the benefits of the single market. In this regard, the Committee refers to its opinion on How to exploit the full potential of cohesion policy to tackle demographic change, which recommends considering establishing minimum European standards for essential services in order to guarantee ‘freedom to remain’;

30.

in this regards, strongly opposes the European Commission’s proposed centralisation of cohesion policy funds in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), which risks undermining the ability of regions and cities to deliver targeted, long-term solutions to transport poverty; warns that abandoning the pluriannual perspective and shifting to centralised management will deprive local and regional authorities of the flexibility and resources needed to design and implement efficient, smart public transport services, especially in rural and peripheral areas where transport poverty is most acute; insists that the European Parliament and Member States reject any measures that weaken regional ownership or disrupt the long-term planning essential for competitiveness, climate action, job creation, and infrastructure development; demands that the next MFF guarantees regions direct access to adequate, predictable funding, enabling them to develop place-based strategies tailored to local needs and challenges:

Public transport as a particularly effective tool

31.

stresses that there is untapped potential for making public transport more attractive and accessible, especially in less populated areas, including through integrated timetables and flexible networks; further underlines that making public transport more attractive and accessible also reduces air pollution, noise and traffic accidents, thereby improving public health and quality of life, especially for vulnerable groups;

32.

observes with concern the territorial disparities between urban and rural areas in accessing mobility solutions and calls for special attention to strengthening urban-rural linkages and rural mobility, including through improved connectivity and expanded public transport options;

33.

recommends that, in the context of developing public transport systems, special support be given to sparsely populated areas that are far from public services, for example by setting up and providing long-term financial support for transport services with reduced capacity and flexible timetables that can be adapted to the daily mobility needs of the local population; points out that current data collection tools at national and EU level may not capture real levels of transport demand in less densely populated territories and border regions (since, for example, usage data cannot be provided for services that do not exist); notes, in parallel, that data held by telecoms operators may provide a useful source of information for assessing mobility patterns and real demand levels in such territories; stresses that improved rural mobility is also essential for generational renewal and social inclusion in rural areas, and should be better recognised across EU rural development instruments;

34.

draws attention to the link between transport poverty and the depopulation of peripheral rural areas, and supports strengthening the PSO framework and developing a European action plan for quality services of general interest, given the strategic importance of balanced territorial development in the EU in the context of the development of the single market;

35.

calls on the Commission to consider simplifying the technical and legal requirements governing border crossings and stimulating the provision of regional cross-border rail, water and bus transport services. The Committee welcomes innovative instruments such as the EU B-Solutions programme (2) and the BRIDGEforEU instrument (3), and recommends that local and regional authorities that wish to promote cross-border services in their territories explore the potential of these instruments; encourages, in particular, the creation of functional cross-border regions and European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation (EGTCs) to facilitate the provision of cross-border transport services and mobility;

The role of rail

36.

draws the attention of the European Commission to the fact that certain aspects of the relevant EU regulatory frameworks (4) may inadvertently disincentivise the operation of branch lines and cross-border services in less densely populated territories, as the costs of compliance with the relevant EU requirements may be considered too high in relation to ridership figures. The Committee stresses that supporting the operation of these lines is nonetheless essential to ensure territorial cohesion, mobility rights and the promotion of sustainable transport; calls for prioritising the reopening and modernisation of regional and cross-border rail lines that offer high environmental and social benefits;

37.

calls on the Commission to recall the possibility of derogations from the rules governing access to tracks and technical and public services for secondary railway lines and of any lines that do not form part of the European core network to facilitate the direct designation by local and regional authorities of the service provider responsible for these lines, and to encourage the conclusion of bilateral agreements between the railway companies and the operators involved in the event of border crossings;

38.

draws attention, furthermore, to the significant untapped potential of unused local and regional rail lines in many regions of the EU to support cross-border transport, and calls for the EU and the Members States to support the restoration of this infrastructure, particularly in the context of a future strategic European transport investment plan;

The role of car use in eradicating transport poverty

39.

notes that cars continue to play a key role in mobility options in many regions affected by transport poverty, especially in rural and peripheral areas, and stresses that transport policy measures and incentives should recognise the importance, and often necessity, of car use in social mobility;

40.

notes that the additional costs related to the decarbonisation of vehicles are disproportionately borne by people who depend on private vehicles for their mobility needs, as well as by public transport operators, especially in rural, suburban and remote areas. The Committee stresses that electrification coverage is uneven between regions and that policies and roadmaps for a clean transition of the automotive industry must be realistic and take into account regional characteristics to safeguard the mobility of vulnerable groups; calls for a reassessment of the timeframes and additional resources needed in the clean transition of the automotive sector, with particular regard to the 2035 phase-out of internal combustion engine cars, together with the forthcoming review of the CO2 emissions regulations, to avoid undermining the mobility of the most vulnerable citizens in particular;

41.

urges a thorough assessment of how geographically remote regions can be better connected through rail or other transport systems, to secure reliable links to major cities and towns and prevent further territorial disparities;

42.

points out that technological neutrality is necessary to eradicate transport poverty and that the use of new and second-hand vehicles equipped with low-emission combustion engines should therefore be promoted in the short term. The Committee welcomes the announcement by the Commission President of an EU initiative to produce small and affordable electric cars and strongly recommends changing EU regulations and standards to encourage the automotive industry to produce small and affordable combustion engine cars as well, thereby enabling a combination of approaches to decarbonisation, with alternative fuels such as biofuels, e-fuels, and hydrogen complementing electrification;

43.

draws attention to the possibility of setting up a system whereby a vehicle owner who gives up an obsolete and polluting car receives a financial contribution for the purchase of a more recent and less polluting internal combustion car, for which all the infrastructure necessary for use and maintenance is already in place. Rejuvenating the stock of cars also helps to achieve environmental objectives;

44.

stresses that EU support for e-mobility is an important step towards achieving the Union’s climate and environmental goals and can contribute to making mobility cleaner and more sustainable; underlines that such measures, including social leasing schemes for electric vehicles, do not always effectively address transport poverty. It therefore calls for technology-neutral support for all forms of transport and for the integration of proven good practices as well as low-cost, tailor-made options; calls on the Commission and the Member States to integrate the most effective and efficient solutions into their Social Climate Plans and to leverage EU funding instruments to make mobility support measures accessible, affordable, available and adequate in all regions;

45.

stresses that tackling energy poverty, particularly the affordability of electricity, are essential prerequisites for making electric vehicles more appealing to low-income groups as they are cheaper to operate;

Reducing administrative burden

46.

draws attention to the key role of local and regional authorities in reducing transport poverty, particularly with regard to the organisation of public transport at local and suburban level. It is therefore necessary to allow them to use the existing stock of cars in a flexible and targeted way to set up local transport services with as little administrative and legal burden as possible;

47.

stresses that, in some Member States, national regulations prevent municipalities from setting up local transport services with their own vehicles, for example in the form of on-demand services, especially in regions where it is not profitable for traditional operators to provide such services. The Committee therefore calls on the Commission to encourage Member States to simplify these rules;

48.

calls on the Commission to consider revising Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council (5) to reduce the burden on municipal social services and calls for specific mention of regional cross-border public services and for less stringent requirements than the general rules governing international passenger transport; also calls for reduced burdens and less stringent regulations for local education services in order to ensure the provision of hybrid services that are designed based on the needs of the areas and populations concerned;

Harnessing the potential of territorial data

49.

points out its recent opinion on the creation of a European mobility data space and the need for local and regional authorities to base their sustainable transport policies and investment decisions on mobility data. While this creates new opportunities for them, it also leads to a lot of difficulties, as the considerable amount of data available may prove too difficult for many of them to process;

50.

welcomes the possibility to use new innovative tools such as the EU Transport Poverty Hub, particularly in view of reporting and monitoring obligations related to the use of Social Climate Fund resources;

51.

adds that continuous monitoring of datasets is essential for the development of local solutions to reduce transport poverty as it allows innovative services to be adapted to constantly changing demographic and socio-economic circumstances. The Committee calls on the EU to further support the regular collection and monitoring of data, as well as the development of appropriate indicators, at lower territorial levels, including by financing new surveys and measurement at EU level, particularly on mobility.

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(1)  Commission Recommendation (EU) 2025/1021 of 22 May 2025 on transport poverty: ensuring affordable, accessible and fair mobility (OJ L, 2025/1021, 26.5.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reco/2025/1021/oj).

(2)  See https://www.b-solutionsproject.com/.

https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/whats-new/panorama/2024/05/15-05-2024-b-solutions-solving-border-obstacles_en.

(3)  See https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/whats-new/newsroom/05-06-2025-bridgeforeu-regulation-to-address-obstacles-in-border-regions-approved_en.

(4)  Notably the rail interoperability and safety directives [Directive (EU) 2016/797 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2016 on the interoperability of the rail system within the European Union (recast) (OJ L 138, 26.5.2016, p. 44) and Directive (EU) 2016/798 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2016 on railway safety (recast) (OJ L 138, 26.5.2016, p. 102)].

(5)  Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2006 on the harmonisation of certain social legislation relating to road transport and amending Council Regulations (EEC) No 3821/85 and (EC) No 2135/98 and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 3820/85 (OJ L 102, 11.4.2006, p. 1).