EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Strasbourg, 14.12.2021
COM(2021) 811 final
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS
The New EU Urban Mobility Framework
{SWD(2021) 470}
Introduction
1.Europe is one of the most urbanised regions in the world 1 , with a huge variety of towns and cities that are important hubs of economic and social activity. When it comes to urban planning and urban quality of life, European cities are often looked up to by the rest of the world as attractive places to visit, live, study, work and do business in, with mobility and transport as key enablers. As main connection points, cities are key components of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), the backbone of the Single European Transport Area and essential for a well-functioning single market. Many European cities are global frontrunners when it comes to transport innovation, sustainable urban mobility planning and the implementation of ambitious climate and road safety targets.
2.However, cities are still facing major challenges to further improve their mobility and transport system. At the same time, they still have to fully tackle the negative consequences of transport for society, health and environment, namely the creation of greenhouse gas emissions, air and noise pollution as well as congestion and road fatalities. Those challenges – as well as the vision on the way forward – have been highlighted in the European Green Deal 2 , the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy (SSMS) 3 , the Fit for 55 package 4 , the Zero Pollution Action Plan 5 , and Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan 6 .
3.The Conference of Parties to the Paris Agreement in Glasgow (COP26) drew the spotlight on the implementation of international climate commitments, as the Union is doing with the European Green Deal. Urban mobility can make a major contribution, not just by reducing the sizeable amount of greenhouse gas emissions caused by it, but also by becoming less polluting, less congesting and safer. As the Union’s 2030 Climate Target Plan 7 confirms, the deployment of zero-emission vehicles in the urban context will only deliver a part of these objectives. A clear priority should be placed at national and local level on the development of public transport, walking and cycling, as well as connected, shared mobility services.
4.Mobility is a critical aspect of social inclusion and an important determinant of human well-being, especially for disadvantaged groups. Transport, recognised as an essential service in the European Pillar of Social Rights, fulfils a basic need in enabling citizens to integrate into society and the labour market, but also constitutes a significant part of household expenditure. Enhanced connectivity and market opening has contributed to linking transport networks, bringing the EU together and making it more tangible and accessible for travellers. These objectives are also highlighted in the Commission proposal for a Council Recommendation on ensuring a fair transition towards climate neutrality 8 , which provides a common framework and shared understanding of comprehensive policies and investments needed for ensuring the transition is fair, including transport.
5.On the one hand, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted mobility and transport. On the other hand, and especially in cities, the pandemic has also drove cities to improve infrastructure for active mobility. Therefore, now it is more than needed to emerge from the crisis with a more resilient, smarter and more sustainable urban mobility system, which is also key to the overall resilience of the transport system and the economy. Addressing these challenges promises more sustainable urban nodes with a higher quality of life and better connectivity, affordability and accessibility of mobility services for urban and their surrounding rural areas. To achieve the major transition in urban mobility, swift and significant action and investment is needed at EU, national, regional and particularly local level.
6.The 2013 urban mobility package 9 focused on catalysing joint local, national and European action to respond to these societal challenges. Its evaluation 10 highlighted several issues, in particular the lack of an EU-wide uptake of sustainable urban mobility plans 11 (SUMPs), a central element of the approach. Other issues included the lack of consistent collection of urban mobility data and the need for a better EU governance framework in which Member States, regional and local authorities are more heavily involved. Support should be available to local authorities to better link cross-border transport strategies with sustainable urban mobility plans, capacity building and training, and better urban planning. Stronger efforts are therefore needed if European towns and cities are to succeed in reducing greenhouse gases and air pollutant emissions, congestion and road casualties.
7.The Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) relies on urban mobility for ‘first and last mile’ connections for both passengers and freight. Cities and regions need to play an even bigger role in the TEN-T of the future to improve mobility and transport flows. This can be achieved by ensuring that urban nodes function better in the overall framework and that the local authorities are better involved in the governance of the TEN-T.
8.Therefore, in order to contribute to the EU’s increasingly ambitious climate, environmental, digital, health and societal objectives, the EU needs to take more decisive action on urban mobility to shift from the current approach based on traffic flows to an approach based on moving people and goods more sustainably. This means a stronger collective / public transport backbone, better active mobility (e.g. walking, cycling) options and efficient zero-emission urban logistics and last mile deliveries. While such multimodality should be our guiding principles for urban mobility, zero-emission and connected and automated mobility will be a key component of the transition to a climate-neutral urban future that also enables suburban and rural areas to connect sustainably with cities. Better management of transport and mobility using multimodal hubs and digital solutions is needed to increase system-wide efficiency.
the new EU framework for urban mobility
9.The transition to safe, accessible, inclusive, smart, resilient and zero-emission urban mobility requires a clear focus on active, collective and shared mobility underpinned by low- and zero-emission solutions. It therefore calls for increased and accelerated action and new investments; and there has to be a particular focus on public transport, multimodality and active mobility infrastructure. This is to be achieved by strengthening existing tools and complementing them with new ones. Based on a thorough analysis, a new EU framework for urban mobility is being presented here to support Member States, regions, cities and other stakeholders in the necessary transformation.
1.1A reinforced approach to TEN-T urban nodes
10.Cities are important elements of a well-functioning TEN-T network. However, network bottlenecks, missing links and poor connections remain major challenges for integrating urban nodes into the TEN-T network.
Passengers
11.The importance of urban nodes is not just for the people who live in towns and cities. Around one third of the population lives in villages, small towns and peri-urban areas on the outskirts of cities and is often dependent on private cars for reaching nearby urban nodes to get to work or to school, to socialise, travel or shop. However, this in turn means that cities face continued congestion and pollution, with a high number of cars entering and leaving every day, having also negative repercussions for road safety. Equally, public transport is facing challenges to cope with high demand during peak hours, and congested rail and road networks, trains, trams, buses and metros can face constraints that hinder not only the flow of traffic in the urban node but on the entire TEN-T network.
12.The need for efficient and inclusive connectivity between rural, peri-urban and urban areas via sustainable mobility options has been acknowledged at EU level 12 . This includes integrated links between rural, suburban and urban areas in the planning of the TEN-T network and connections between these areas and cities. More suitable infrastructure is needed to increase the share of public transport. This means, for example, multimodal hubs with stations/stops that are effectively interconnected with urban rail, metro, tram, bus, coaches, shared mobility services and better and bigger park and ride facilities, and that are better equipped with appropriate bike parks and publicly accessible recharging and refuelling points for low- and zero-emission vehicles 13 . Designing all these facilities also requires an increased focus on persons with disabilities.
Freight
13.Interconnectivity between long distance and ‘first and last mile’ connections for efficient freight transport is fundamental for the smooth functioning of the TEN-T and should be better reflected in urban and regional planning. For example, to support quicker and more efficient zero-emission logistics in urban nodes, a sufficient number of multimodal terminals and freight consolidation centres is needed.
14.The deployment of recharging and refuelling infrastructure for low- and zero-emission vehicles at these centres and logistics hubs is particularly important for delivery vehicles and long-haul trucks 14 . Alternative delivery solutions, such as cargo bikes and inland waterways should also be considered and better utilised in urban logistics, with automated deliveries and drones (unmanned aircraft) being increasingly used in the future, where appropriate.
15.To tackle these deficiencies for passenger and freight transport, the TEN-T Regulation needs to be strengthened to include urban mobility, which is essential for the overall good functioning of the network. At the same time, cities need to retain a sufficient level of flexibility in full respect of subsidiarity. Therefore, the proposed revision of the TEN-T Regulation provides for a reinforced approach to a larger number of urban nodes 15 . These urban nodes are the starting points and final destinations (‘first and last mile’) for passengers and freight moving on the TEN-T as well as points of transfer within or between different transport modes, with a strong focus on public transport. The revision also addresses the shortcomings identified by the Court of Auditors in their 2020 special report 16 and follows up on its recommendations.
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The Commission is proposing to revise the TEN-T Regulation and require for urban nodes in particular: -the adoption of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans, taking into account the overall importance of facilitating longer-distance trans-European transport flows, getting transport drastically less polluting in cities, incentivising zero-emission mobility, including active, collective and shared mobility, and decreasing energy intensity of transport; -the collection and submission of urban mobility data covering at minimum, greenhouse gas emissions, congestion, deaths and serious injuries caused by road crashes, modal share for all modes, and access to mobility services 17 as well as data on air and noise pollution in cities; -the development of multimodal passenger hubs, including park and ride facilities, to improve first and last mile connections and to enhance the necessary capacities for long-distance connectivity in and between urban nodes; -the development of multimodal freight terminals to ensure sustainable urban logistics based on a comprehensive analysis at Member State level. |
1.2A reinforced approach to Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) and mobility management plans
16.Introduced in 2013, Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans are a cornerstone of EU urban mobility. SUMPs help to address mobility challenges for the entire functional urban area, including synergies with spatial, energy and climate plans. Over the past years, a vast compendium of advice and guidance has been developed with the community, and a subsequent set of guidelines has been made available to cities and stakeholders on the EU urban mobility observatory 18 . There is also a self-assessment tool to help cities understand the strengths and weaknesses of their SUMPs 19 .
17.However, the evaluation of the 2013 Urban Mobility Package found a number of shortcomings that prevent SUMPs from contributing more effectively to the EU’s increasingly ambitious transport, climate, health and societal objectives and commitments, as laid down in the European Green Deal and the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy. There is an uneven implementation of SUMPs between and within Member States: many towns and cities still do not have a SUMP and for those with a SUMP, there are large variations in their quality. Moreover, more efforts are needed to ensure that the existing sustainable urban logistics plans are better embedded in the SUMP framework and further developed and implemented across the EU. These deficiencies largely have to do with what has until now been the non-binding approach and need to be addressed.
18.The local authorities and planning practitioners would benefit from complementary planning tools addressing systemic aspects of mobility, energy and sustainability. The opportunities to strengthen such interfaces between SUMPs and other relevant urban plans covering energy (in particular the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAP)) and sustainability will be reviewed.
19.Under the revised TEN-T Regulation, obligations on SUMPs are proposed for the established urban nodes. At the same time, the scope of SUMPs should be further complemented and improved, taking into account linkages with surrounding rural areas and anticipating as well the need for specific indicators and requirements on SUMPs for the TEN-T urban nodes.
20.Furthermore, the Commission calls on each Member State to put in place a national long-term SUMP support programme, with a national programme manager. This programme could contain legal, financial and organisational measures to help build capacity and implement SUMPs in compliance with European SUMP guidelines 20 .
21.In parallel, public and private organisations such as companies, hospitals, schools or tourist attractions should be encouraged to develop mobility management plans and actions that promote low- and zero-emission means of mobility such as public transport, active mobility or shared mobility.
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The Commission will: -publish, by the end of 2022, a Commission Recommendation to Member States on the national programme to support regions and cities in the roll-out of effective sustainable urban mobility plans. This will include an upgraded SUMP concept, setting clear priorities to favour sustainable solutions including active, collective and public transport and shared mobility (including for urban-rural linkages), fully integrating resilience aspects as well as Sustainable Urban Logistics Plans (SULP), based on zero-emission vehicles and solutions; -encourage cooperation with the European Covenant of Mayors on alignment of SUMP and Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs) instruments; -complement and streamline the set of SUMP guidance. |
1.3Monitoring progress – sustainable urban mobility indicators
22.To understand the progress achieved and improve existing plans, comprehensive data has to be available. As local authorities take individual actions to achieve policy goals, it is becoming more evident that a common approach to monitoring and providing information is lacking. EU-wide standardised indicators would also make it easier for cities to share best practices. This common knowledge base could in turn allow them to pursue joined-up approaches at the European level to implement sustainable urban mobility plans.
23.In a pilot project with several EU cities, the Commission has tested a set of sustainable urban mobility indicators – such as the affordability of public transport, road deaths and injuries, greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions, congestion and modal split – and provided a related benchmarking tool 21 . The feedback received has provided guidance on how to improve the indicator set in particular to ensure that their methodology is simplified and benefits from long-term support and commitment. It also identified the need to provide support to cities, increase relevant resources at local authorities and support data acquisition.
24.Furthermore the need to better involve Member States in the process was identified, as several Member States do not systematically collect relevant data. This is a particularly important issue for the TEN-T urban nodes, given that they are vital parts of the TEN-T network.
25.Based on the above, a staged preparatory approach is proposed. It will start with refining the indicators, followed by supporting cities and Member States in collecting the necessary data, in view of the proposed requirements for data collection by the urban nodes on the TEN-T.
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Therefore, in order to increase the uptake of the indicators, the Commission will: -by the end of 2022, improve and streamline the set of 19 sustainable urban mobility indicators already identified as well as the related benchmarking tool; -in 2023, launch a programme support action under the Connecting Europe Facility to Member States for the collection of data for harmonised mobility indicators in order to monitor the progress achieved by TEN-T urban nodes towards sustainable urban mobility. |
1.4Attractive public transport services, supported by a multimodal approach and by digitalisation
26. Public transport such as urban rail, metros, trams, buses, water buses, ferries or cable cars represent the safest, most efficient and sustainable ways for large numbers of people to travel. Public transport also provides affordable and inclusive mobility options, enabling social cohesion and local economic development. That’s why the Commission proposes today that urban nodes in the TEN-T network develop sustainable urban mobility plans that aims to increase the use of public transport, and aims to promote, in the new EU Urban Mobility Framework, the strengthening of this form of transport throughout cities and regions.
27.However, the evaluation of the 2013 policy framework showed that since 2013 the use of public transport in European cities has only slightly increased, and the COVID-19 pandemic strongly hit public transport operations and ridership. Some cities have shown the efficiency of local, regional or national public and transport authorities engaging in campaigns to regain the public’s trust and to get people back into the habit of using public transport. More needs to be done for public transport and for related aspects such as multimodal information systems and smart ticketing. This should be properly reflected in particular in the strengthened SUMP framework.
28.Public transport creates jobs, promotes territorial accessibility and social inclusion and is key for connectivity with rural and peri-urban areas. In that regard, rail transport is well positioned to expand its modal share, including in urban areas and their surroundings. The European Year of Rail in 2021 has been a good opportunity to kick-start this process.
29.As part of a broader shift towards zero-emission mobility, hydrogen and in particular battery electric buses already represent a fast-growing share of the public transport fleet across the EU. Alternative fuels infrastructure legislation 22 , currently in revision as part of the Fit for 55 package 23 , sets a framework for completing standardisation of recharging infrastructure at EU level, and the revised Clean Vehicles Directive 24 sets national targets for public procurement of clean buses, trucks, cars and vans for services such as public transport, waste collection or mail and parcel transport. The Commission has prioritised support, particularly for deploying the necessary recharging and refuelling infrastructure in order to allow a smooth transition towards zero-emission vehicles. The Commission has also set-up the Clean Bus Europe Platform 25 to help cities with the transition towards clean bus fleets.
30.The coverage and accessibility of public transport within cities has improved 26 . But more needs to be done to increase its quality, accessibility for persons with disabilities and ensure better integration between public transport and shared mobility services and active mobility, including micro-mobility services in order to cover the last mile where access points are far or frequency of public transport is low. This will also contribute to the reduction of the need to use motorised vehicles and thus can reduce congestion. Furthermore, public transport and shared mobility services should complement each other. In some cases, shared and on-demand mobility could become part of public transport, in particular in rural areas, integrated under Mobility as a Service models.
31.Good quality public transport serves commuters and travelers, high- and low-income households, older and young people, women and men alike. We need to adapt the urban public transport infrastructure and services to ensure better accessibility, among other things 27 , including to better serve an ageing population in many cities as well as persons with disabilities or reduced mobility.
32.In order to achieve this, public transport must be at the centre of sustainable urban mobility planning, be available and attractive to all and offer barrier-free access. It should maintain a high safety culture to protect the general public, children and vulnerable users and attract new groups of people. Public transport planning should also address connections with the areas outside the city centre, including connections to the suburbs and rural areas beyond the city.
33.There also needs to be a greater focus on the digitalisation and automation of tram, bus, urban rail and metro services; this can increase the frequency of services and cut operating costs. Moreover, more data on the actual traffic flows of people are needed to dynamically adapt city-wide public transport capacity, routes and timetables, rather than continuing historically established fixed transport offers.
34.More broadly, digital multimodal solutions are also instrumental in increasing the attractiveness of public transport. Therefore, Mobility as a Service (MaaS) apps need to be developed with public transport as the backbone. Public transport authorities must ensure that passengers are provided with real-time public transport timetables and multimodal options. This requires all stakeholders to work together to reconcile commercial and public interests in the design and operation of MaaS apps. An integrated offer that includes single ticket would also help to make seamless connections to longer-distance rail travel and to increase the mobility options for people living in remote areas, for persons with reduced mobility and for commuters, including from rural and peri-urban areas.
35.Moreover, it is important to make sure that providers of urban transport services provide accessible information to make their websites, mobile apps, electronic ticketing services, real-time travel information services, ticketing and check-in machines compliant with EU wide accessibility requirements 28 .
36.At the same time, the changes linked to automation and digitalisation will also bring challenges for public transport, including for its workers. The jobs of drivers, are, in particular, at high risk of being automated 29 . Reskilling and upskilling therefore has to play a substantial role in the shift to zero-emission public transport in the future, and other measures have to be worked out in a dialogue with social partners. The European Pact for Skills 30 will help mobilise stakeholders and act as an incentive for them to take action in upskilling and reskilling.
37.All of these aspects, firmly established in the SUMP framework, should contribute to better public transport, making it more attractive and thus increasing its use for all demographic groups, including for those from peri-urban and rural areas. Public procurement rules have an important role to play in the efficient provision of urban mobility services. Therefore the Commission calls on Member States to conduct their related procurement procedures to prioritise innovative, digital, accessible, sustainable and multimodal solutions.
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The Commission will: -reinforce its funding (see section 5) and policy support (e.g. reinforced SUMP concept) for public transport and will work with national and local administrations and all stakeholders to ensure that this form of transport remains the backbone of urban mobility and to tackle inequalities in accessing the public transport network, including improving access to train stations; -consider the mandatory provision of operators’ real-time data (e.g. timetable and disruption information), including from public transport, through national (data) access points, in its review of Delegated Regulation 2017/1926 on multimodal travel information services to be adopted in 2022; -propose that, as part of the TEN-T, urban nodes are required to make it possible for passengers to access information, book, pay their journeys and retrieve their tickets through multimodal digital mobility services, allowing public transport to be the backbone of collective mobility in urban nodes by 2030. |
1.5Healthier and safer mobility: a renewed focus on walking, cycling and micromobility
38.Active mobility modes such as walking and cycling are low-cost and zero-emission forms of mobility which can also bring about health co-benefits associated to more active lifestyles. In order to develop their full potential, they should be properly addressed in urban mobility policies at all levels of governance and funding, transport planning, awareness-raising, allocation of space, safety regulations and adequate infrastructure, including a special focus on people with reduced mobility. This will also support the implementation of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan. That is another reason why the Commission proposes today that urban nodes in the TEN-T network develop sustainable urban mobility plans that also aim to increase the use of active mobility, and seeks to promote, in the new EU Urban Mobility Framework, the strengthening of this type of mobility throughout the cities and regions.
39.Employers can encourage better employee health through active mobility. Promotion campaigns and workplace incentive schemes, supported by the necessary infrastructure investment to facilitate walking and cycling to work, result in improved health and wellbeing of employees.
40. Since the COVID-19 epidemic, many local authorities have been taking action such as transforming parking spaces or widening pedestrian pavements to reallocate more public space to sustainable modes such as walking and cycling. Road infrastructure is public space that can be adapted to accommodate a safe use by all.
41.Active mobility modes can be part of multimodal trips (especially for the first and last mile) and offer a door-to-door mobility solution on their own as well. They have great potential to improve human health thanks to physical activity and alleviate congestion thus reducing carbon dioxide and emissions, air and noise pollution. Investing in active mobility infrastructure also brings tangible economic gains 31 .
42.E-bikes open up cycling to those living in hilly areas or in the suburbs and to older people and to some persons with reduced mobility, enabling a lot more people to commute, and go much further, by bike. E-cargo bikes are also taking an increasing share of commercial delivery services. E-bikes are now the fastest-growing e-mobility segment in Europe, with a 52% increase in sales in 2020. With the current trend, the EU is also developing a stronger industrial base in bike and two wheeler technologies. They are becoming smarter, and more needs to be done to enhance investments in cycling infrastructure and to harness the potential of digitalisation and data to increase the take-up of cycling and its integration in a multimodal mix.
43.An increased number of people walking and cycling, together with the rapid emergence of electric scooters and other new forms of micromobility, means a greater number of vulnerable road users 32 on city streets. All road users, including motorised, need to adapt to the new landscape, through increased awareness and education for road safety. Vulnerable road users account for 70% of urban road fatalities, and this group therefore should receive more attention particularly if the EU is to reach its target of ‘vision zero 33 ’ to reduce road fatalities and injuries to almost zero. Road safety aspects should receive additional attention and be a mainstream part of all levels of urban mobility planning. Vulnerable road users should be given sufficient space; e.g. through the physical separation of foot, cycle/micromobility paths from motorised traffic wherever feasible. EU funding for urban mobility projects and for urban infrastructure projects should require that the projects follow the ‘safe system’ approach. European cities are already implementing measures to reduce the risk related to speed by adapting the maximum limits and continue the work as regards better speed management.
44.Already before the COVID-19 pandemic, many operators had started to provide new micromobility services – such as dockless or station-based (electric) two-wheelers (bikes, scooters or electric mopeds) and other personal mobility devices – in numerous cities in the EU. However, different rules are applied nationally and locally, often even within one Member State, making it difficult for visitors to follow local rules correctly and hampering the business of sharing-scheme operators who want to operate in more than one country.
45.Therefore a guidance for relevant authorities, based on close consultation of all interested parties, on the safe use of micromobility devices, is today being published on the EU urban mobility observatory. This SUMP Topic Guide provides best practice and key recommendations on the integration of micromobility devices in urban mobility planning, with the goal to achieve their safer use in urban areas. It will help to integrate micromobility into the vision zero approach and to attain the EU’s long-term goal of moving close to zero fatalities and severe injuries in road transport.
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Therefore, the Commission will: -propose in the revised TEN-T Regulation requirements on multimodal passenger hubs in urban nodes to better integrate active transport modes and requirements to maintain the continuity and accessibility of cycling paths in order to promote the active modes of transport; -increase the role of walking and cycling in the updated SUMP guidance documents; -publish today, on the EU urban mobility observatory, a dedicated SUMP Topic Guide on the safe use of micromobility devices to help urban mobility planners and local authorities to permit the safe deployment of new devices on city streets; -building on experience at national and local levels on safety requirements, prepare rules on the safety of micromobility devices; -provide, by the end of 2022, guidance on quality infrastructure requirements for vulnerable road users in the initial audit of the design phase under Directive 2008/96/EC 34 on road infrastructure safety management. |
1.6Zero-emission city freight logistics and last-mile delivery
46.City freight transport, or logistics, is essential to the functioning of urban economies, even more so during and following the COVID-19 pandemic which has resulted in an increase in e-commerce activity and home deliveries. Consumer e-commerce deliveries grew by 25% in 2020 due to the pandemic, and the increase in last-mile deliveries is likely to persist 35 .
47.Besides the proposed features on urban nodes in the revision of the TEN-T Regulation, the deployment of rapidly developing and sustainable solutions such as cargo bikes therefore needs to be accelerated, using new distribution models, dynamic routing, and a better multimodal connected use of urban rail and inland waterways. This would support optimisation of the use of vehicles and infrastructure and reduce the need for empty and unnecessary runs.
48.Moreover, the freight dimension should feature prominently in the sustainable urban mobility planning to accelerate their deployment. More efforts are needed to ensure that the existing sustainable urban logistics plans (SULPs) 36 are better embedded in the SUMP framework and further developed and implemented across the EU 37 . This will help to achieve the goal of zero-emission urban logistics by 2030.
49.Actions in this domain shall focus on the deployment of zero-emission solutions, technologies and vehicles for urban logistics. The Commission will revise the CO2 emission performance standards for heavy-duty vehicles in order to move towards zero-emission vehicles in this sector. The Commission’s proposal on more ambitious CO2 emission standards for light duty vehicles 38 will also significantly increase the roll-out of zero emission vans used for urban logistics.
50.Ensuring the engagement of public and private stakeholders is central to optimising urban logistics and last-mile delivery in economic, social and environmental terms. Collaboration between local authorities and private stakeholders, regular dialogues among all parties, networking and exchanges among cities planners are key actions mentioned by both local authorities and private stakeholders 39 to build knowledge on sustainable urban logistics management and planning. In addition, more work is necessary at EU level on assessing the need for more urban freight data collection and sharing 40 .
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Therefore, the Commission will: -make a proposal by the end of 2022 to revise the CO2 emission performance standards for heavy-duty vehicles in order to move towards zero-emission vehicles in this sector; -ensure that the existing sustainable urban logistics plans (SULPs) are fully integrated in the SUMP framework; -support dialogue and collaboration between all parties, networking and exchanges among cities planners; -support voluntary data sharing between all types of stakeholders to make urban freight transport more efficient, sustainable and competitive 41 . |
1.7Digitalisation, innovation and new mobility services
51.Digitalisation has untapped potential: technologies such as artificial intelligence, digital twins, blockchains, internet of things, European solutions for satellite navigation and earth observation hold the promise of making urban mobility smarter, more resilient and more sustainable.
52.Thanks to new applications and platforms, smartphones can give access to a wide range of services. For example, ‘Mobility as a Service’ apps can help with the booking and payment of tickets for all mobility offers. The more seamless we can make multimodal journeys, the more users will welcome and accept them. In the future, both transport operators as well as passengers will have the possibility to use European Digital Identity Wallets 42 which Member States will issue to allow citizens, residents and businesses to exchange and present credentials, including for urban mobility.
53.Moreover, digital mobility management tools can help public transport authorities to gain an accurate understanding of public space usage, make better investments in multimodal infrastructure and vehicles and effectively design and monitor compliance with rules.
54.To further support better traffic and mobility management, the envisaged revision of the ITS Directive 43 and the revised Delegated Regulation on EU-wide real-time traffic information services 44 will reinforce real-time traffic information and multimodal digital mobility services.
55.Digitalisation also offers a way to resolve certain challenges related to urban vehicle access regulations (UVARs). In Europe, the majority (73%) of UVARs concern low (and zero) emission zones. Low-emission zones can be an effective tool to address local air quality problems, especially for areas where traffic is a dominant source of overall air pollution. In addition, a number of local authorities are considering emergency pollution schemes or road-charging schemes to tackle other issues such as congestion 45 . Indeed, many cities are struggling with local road congestion and air quality issues caused by transport, frequently exceeding EU air quality standards and pollution thresholds 46 . In particular, road transport should become drastically less polluting, especially in cities. The planned proposal for more stringent air pollutant emissions standards for vehicles (Euro 7) will help cities in the transition towards clean mobility. In addition, UVARs can represent a measure to comply with EU air quality standards and to limit congestion and traffic-borne emissions. Furthermore, they also incentivise the use of public transport and active mobility, reducing the access of more polluting vehicles to sensitive urban areas.
56.It is important that where UVARs are deployed they allow for seamless and user-friendly travel across the single market, without leading to discrimination of non-resident drivers. While the introduction of specific UVARs is and should be a task for the competent national and local authorities, the variety of different UVARs poses new challenges in the EU for passenger and freight transport. Road users need better access to information to be aware of these regulations and be able to comply with them; and cities are often unable to set up and properly enforce effective and functional schemes. These challenges are particularly serious for foreign vehicles, even when they have zero emissions. A standardised and effective manner to provide information and data on UVAR rules to drivers is missing. Equally, city authorities have been lacking the data necessary for cross-border enforcement.
57.The Commission has so far focused its efforts on improving the provision of information and data sharing through:
a.implementation of Regulation (EU) 2018/1724 on the Single Digital Gateway 47 , which requires public authorities to provide information to road users through the Gateway;
b.preparation of the revision 48 of the Delegated Regulation on real time traffic information 49 requiring Member States to give access to a broad range of static and dynamic data to include new data sets, such as those pertaining to UVARs;
c. the ‘UVARbox 50 ’project, which aims to help cities develop a user-friendly tool to provide data in a standardised format on urban and regional UVAR schemes;
d. the ‘UVARexchange 51 ’ project, which aims to improve the communication of information to drivers in the vicinity of UVAR zones and to improve the local authorities’ access to information, especially with respect to foreign vehicles and drivers, for seamless travel and enforcement of UVARs by local authorities.
58.There is a need to work further for effective, cost-efficient, user-friendly and fair solutions that benefit both public authorities and vehicle drivers and owners and help them operate and apply UVARs.
59.Digitalisation also enables new mobility services such as free-floating car and bike sharing, ride hailing and innovative taxi services, or delivery services, mainly offered through mobile apps. In addition, these services represent a major opportunity for European businesses.
60.Ride-hailing companies can be game-changers by offering private hire vehicles with drivers (PHV) services that compete with established taxi services. Taxi drivers often perceive the competition by ride-hailing companies as unfair, if these do not need to observe the same rules as taxis. At the same time, ride-hailing companies and PHV operators perceive rules for PHV as outdated. The Commission will provide targeted guidance on the rules concerning taxi and PHV services in 2022. This guidance complements recent proposals of the Commission on fair working conditions in the platform economy. To ensure the development of these services in line with the European Green Deal, today’s proposal for the revised TEN-T Guidelines foresee that SUMPs in urban nodes should cover plans to shift towards zero-emission car fleets.
61.Other new mobility and transport services are emerging, often supported by EU funding for research and innovation activities. Connected cooperative automated mobility (CCAM) services and urban air mobility (UAM) 52 are two of them. To maximise their potential contribution to urban mobility, it is necessary to integrate them into the SUMP framework from an early stage.
62. More broadly, many European cities are already global frontrunners when it comes to transport innovation, sustainable urban mobility planning and the implementation of ambitious climate and road safety targets. Our cities are often the best ‘living laboratories’ where new solutions to common challenges are designed, tested and implemented, contributing not only to more effective and sustainable urban mobility but also further increasing the quality of life in European cities for the people who live there. Cities are also experimenting with the use of Local Digital Twins, combining data from different domains (including mobility) and using visualisation, modelling and simulation to support their decision-making in an integrated manner.
63.Public discussion and the ‘co-creation’ of new mobility concepts is vital for their public acceptance. To that aim and since 2002, the CIVITAS Initiative was supported by the successive R&I Framework Programmes and has been bringing innovative actions to local and regional levels, enabling public authorities to better manage innovation and adopt new tools, solutions or processes. This helps to promote deployment and replication of sustainable and smart urban mobility solutions across Europe – and beyond.
64.Moreover, there are many EU research and innovation initiatives that have a link with urban mobility, including the 2ZERO (Towards zero emission road transport) and CCAM (Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility) co-programmed partnerships, the Clean Hydrogen and Europe’s Rail institutional partnerships, the DUT (Driving Urban Transition) co-funded partnership, the Urban Innovative Actions initiative, the EIT Knowledge and Innovation Community on Urban Mobility, the living.eu initiative and the Smart Cities Marketplace. These initiatives complement each other and have great potential for synergies to accelerate innovation towards more sustainable, liveable cities and urban spaces. A particularly promising avenue for effective coordination between initiatives in urban matters is the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities mission (see below).
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The Commission will: -propose a legislative initiative by 2022 on the provision and use of commercially sensitive data for multimodal digital mobility services, also improving accessibility for people with reduced mobility; -present actions to develop a common European mobility data space to facilitate access to and sharing of mobility data, including at urban level, in 2022; -create, with the support of the Digital Europe Programme 53 , an EU Toolbox for Local Digital Twins to help cities, in their own local context, to combine data from different domains, such as mobility, and to use visualisation and simulation to support decision-making; -launch a dedicated study in 2022, which will map and clarify which digital and technical solutions would be available to enable more effective and user-friendly UVARs, while respecting the principle of subsidiarity; -issue guidance on local transport-on-demand: i.e. taxis, private hire vehicles with drivers and ride-hailing; -further develop the CIVITAS Initiative under Horizon Europe and its cooperation with relevant EU-funded initiatives, through the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities mission; -support innovation actions within the Horizon Europe R&I programme through the partnerships that are relevant for urban mobility activities (DUT co-funded partnership, 2ZERO and CCAM co-programmed partnerships, Clean Hydrogen and the Europe's Rail institutional partnerships). |
1.8Towards climate-neutral cities: resilient, environmentally friendly and energy-efficient urban transport
65.A key milestone of the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy is to have at least 100 climate neutral European cities by 2030. Given the availability of suitable technological and other policy solutions for zero-emission mobility, cities should take measures to facilitate the green transition and ultimately ensure that urban mobility and transport becomes climate neutral as early as possible. This should include synergies with renewable energy generation, storage and energy communities. In particular, city authorities should use the powers at their disposal, including in the context of public procurement, concession or licence award procedures, and grant award procedures to accelerate the greening of public transport and fleets such as shared mobility and rental vehicles, delivery vehicles and taxi- and PHV services.
66.Public authorities should ensure the availability of efficient, interoperable and user-friendly recharging and alternative fuels refuelling infrastructure. To this end, the Sustainable Transport Forum has already drawn up a set of recommendations for public authorities for procuring, awarding concessions, licences and/or granting support for electric recharging infrastructure for passenger cars and vans 54 . In addition, a Guidance for better permitting and grid connection procedures of recharging infrastructure as well as Recommendations for accelerating the electrification of specialised and captive fleets are intended to be published in 2022.
67.The transition to climate neutrality will be developed and demonstrated in practice by the cities involved in the on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities mission 55 . The mission aims to deliver 100 climate neutral and smart European cities by 2030 and to lay the groundwork for all cities to be climate neutral by 2050. Urban mobility will be at the heart of this challenge. In terms of R&I, the first Horizon Europe work programme for 2021-2022 includes a set of actions that help lay the foundations for the implementation of the mission, including in a number of key areas such as public transport.
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The Commission will: -propose to include in the revised TEN-T Regulation obligations on the availability of recharging and refueling infrastructure, stemming from the Commission proposal on for a Regulation on the deployment of alternative fuel infrastructure 56 , including in urban nodes; -include in the Horizon Europe R&I work programmes topics to help cities invest in urban mobility innovation within the Cities Mission with a focus on public transport and active mobility and within the transport partnerships to support automated, smart and zero-emission vehicles and their integration with the charging systems in urban areas; -provide EUR 359.3 million under Horizon Europe during the period 2021-2023 for the initial implementation phase of the Climate-neutral and Smart Cities mission; -develop further synergies with funding and financing from other EU programmes (such as European Structural and Investment Funds, Connecting Europe Facility and Recovery and Resilience Facility), European Investment Bank and private sector sources to support the deployment of zero-emission mobility, vehicles and their enablers. |
1.9Awareness raising and capacity building
68.European Mobility Week (16-22 September) 57 – the European Commission’s campaign in cooperation with a national coordinators network – has been promoting behavioural change towards sustainable mobility since 2002 in favour of active mobility, public transport, and other sustainable and smart transport solutions. While the campaign runs all year round, the main decentralised event in September is when towns and cities organise events linked to the annual theme, such as the increasingly popular ‘car-free days’. The theme of the 20th edition in 2021 was ‘Safe and Healthy with Sustainable Mobility’ and a record 3200 towns and cities from 53 countries around the world participated. Annual events such as major EU conferences 58 and EU-level urban mobility-related awards serve a similar purpose and enable participants to network and share best practices. The ongoing Conference on the Future of Europe also offers an excellent forum to liaise interactively with citizens on sustainable transport solutions.
69.The annual Access City Award 59 , launched by the European Commission in 2010, recognises European cities for their efforts to become more accessible for persons with disabilities, including in the area of transport and related infrastructure. The 12th edition of the Access City Award includes a special mention for making train stations more accessible to celebrate the European Year of Rail (2021). The Award encourages every city in the EU to ensure equal access to urban life for persons with disabilities and older people. Moreover, it enables cities to inspire each other and share examples of good practices.
70.In parallel to awareness-raising, there is also a need to help local and regional authorities and urban transport workers build their capacity so they can effectively exercise their duty on sustainable and smart urban mobility. The EU has been supporting capacity building, in particular for sustainable urban mobility planning, through technical assistance and training and numerous projects and by providing guidance documents.
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The Commission will: -continue its awareness-raising activities centred on European Mobility Week and the EU urban mobility awards and events; -continue providing technical assistance, and in particular actions to build the capacity of local, regional and national authorities to prepare and implement urban mobility measures and strategies. |
governance and coordination
71.All policy levels (EU, national, regional and local authorities) are involved in mobility issues. A multi-level, integrated governance approach to manage urban mobility, along with other relevant sectors such as energy, is needed as part of the drive towards climate neutrality, such as through the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities mission. Ensuring that cities are fully involved to support the achievement of European objectives is of key importance in that regard. Respecting subsidiarity principles, it should support national, local and regional authorities in their work and enable a joined up approach across the EU.
72.A reinforced platform for dialogue and the co-creation of new actions to implement the new EU urban mobility framework is needed with a stronger engagement of Member States and a better dialogue with cities, regions and stakeholders on all urban mobility issues. To that end, existing structures should be used and adapted as far as possible 60 .
73.A reformed Expert Group on Urban Mobility 61 can play a central role in designing and implementing this new governance approach. Its overall functioning to date has not lived up to initial expectations, and the public consultations and workshops highlighted the need to improve its structure and working arrangements. This should include opening participation to local authorities, city networks and social partners, and to set clear work objectives and deliverables. The Expert Group should be supported in its operations by sub-groups, where useful.
74.The Expert Group should work in particular on public transport, shared and active mobility, zero-emission fleets, urban logistics and first and last-mile delivery, including in urban cross-border areas, and urban-rural linkages. It should also coordinate preparedness for the contingency of urban transport between Member States 62 as well as between national SUMP programme managers and the SUMP Coordination Platform Group.
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The Commission will: -review, by 2022, the mandate and operation of the Commission’s Expert Group on Urban Mobility. |
international aspects
75.Urban mobility is one of the dimension covered by the Sustainable Development Goal 11 on sustainable cities and communities, and by the New Urban Agenda. These global framework documents have been guiding EU multilateral and bilateral cooperation, as well as other activities launched to support the deployment of practices and solutions beyond the EU.
76.The International Urban Cooperation programme 63 2017-2020 contributed to creating dialogue between cities across the world on mobility issues via pairings and the design of common action plans. Examples include cooperation between Torino (Italy) and São Paolo (Brazil) to bring about multi-modal urban mobility in large inter-municipal systems, and the work of Nagpur (India) and Karlsruhe (Germany) to reflect on people centered mobility and public bike-sharing.
77.Under the new International Urban and Regional Cooperation Programme 64 (IURC) for 2021-2024, 44 cities from EU and non-EU countries have manifested interest to work on a thematic network on urban and regional renewal and social cohesion, which notably covers sustainable mobility and transport issues.
78.Numerous other international activities have been taking place to boost and implement sustainable urban mobility solutions, supporting EU development cooperation and partnerships across the different geographical regions. These activities cover the investment dimensions and the notion of strategic mobility governance at municipal levels for sustainable urban mobility planning where the EU SUMP concept and guidelines have become a point of global reference. They have been adapted worldwide to geographical contexts and specificities.
79.Further engaging local political ownership of sustainable mobility objectives is key to attaining the EU’s climate goals. Building on the ambitions of the European Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities mission, the Commission will strengthen international cooperation on cross-sectoral approaches for the integration of reliable and affordable clean energy solutions, including under urban transport, via the Mission Innovation (MI) global initiative on Urban Transitions 65 .
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The Commission will: -encourage cooperation with the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy on urban mobility matters; -develop closer cooperation on urban mobility with other relevant international bodies such as the International Transport Forum (ITF); -continue to promote sustainable urban mobility approaches beyond the EU, e.g. as a part of the implementation of the Economic and Investment Plans for the Western Balkans 66 , the Eastern Partnership 67 , and the Southern Neighborhood 68 69 . |
Funding and financing urban mobility projects
80. Decarbonising, cleaning, digitalising and modernising urban mobility requires significant efforts for developing and testing new solutions as well as investing in mobile assets and infrastructures.
81.In the financing period 2021-2027, several funding and financing instruments at European and national levels, such as the Connecting Europe Facility, InvestEU, the European Regional Development Fund, the Cohesion Fund, Horizon Europe R&I Framework Programme, Digital Europe Programme and the Recovery and Resilience Facility, are available to support the transition towards sustainable urban mobility; and Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) and Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III) in the enlargement region.
82.Major steps have also been taken to make the financial system more sustainable, notably with the 2020 adoption of the Taxonomy Regulation, which creates a classification system for green economic activities. This will facilitate the scaling up of green financial products suitable to promote investment in urban mobility and alternative fuel deployments. The Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities mission will support this process by ensuring greater synergies and complementarities with other EU programmes whilst helping cities to deliver on the twin green and digital transition through the preparation and implementation of their Climate City Contracts which will include also investment plans that will build in EU, national and regional funding support and set out how they plan to have access to financing from other sources, to scale up and deploy innovative solutions for delivering on their commitments.
83.Through the Technical Support Instrument 70 , the Commission supports Member States in designing and implementing reforms aimed at overcoming the investment gap and accelerating the twin transitions. Member States can ask for support through the Technical Support Instrument to design and put in place measures to enable their engagement in effective and sustainable reforms and investments for cleaner, smarter and more integrated urban mobility and facilitate this way the transition towards sustainable urban mobility.
84.More advisory support and technical assistance will be provided through the InvestEU advisory hub, with dedicated facilities, notably ELENA, URBIS and SIA/JASPERS as well as through the Technical Assistance and Information Exchange instrument of the European Commission (TAIEX) or twinning projects involving third countries. This will also help to maximise the absorption and impact of EU funds.
85.The existence of an integrated urban mobility strategy (Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan or equivalent) can give additional assurance on the effectiveness and efficiency of investments as part of a systemic approach.
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The Commission will: -develop a stronger link between SUMPs and funding instruments and, e.g. give priority in the Connecting Europe Facility work programmes to urban mobility projects that are backed by SUMPs or equivalent plans, and give priority in Horizon Europe calls to applicants with SUMPs; -continue to provide financial support for sustainable urban mobility investments both in the EU and beyond, including to smart and sustainable urban mobility projects in cities through the EU Research and Innovation Programme Horizon Europe (2021-2027). |
Conclusions
86.This Communication is a call to leverage action across all levels of governance in order to tackle the mobility challenges faced by urban areas: the Commission will step up its support in areas with established EU added value (in particular regarding urban nodes on the TEN-T and Recommendations to Member States on effective sustainable urban mobility plans), while creating a common framework for all EU cities to make the shift towards more sustainable and smarter urban mobility. Member States are urged to support local authorities’ increased efforts to make urban mobility more sustainable, smarter and more resilient. Accelerating the transition towards climate-neutral and clean urban mobility represents not only a major challenge but also provides huge opportunities for cities and regions as well as industry across the Union and beyond. In the end, it delivers on citizens’ expectations of cleaner air, less congestion and noise as well as increased road safety and better health, fully in line with our new growth strategy for Europe.
A dedicated topic guide in the context of SUMP was published in October 2019: https://www.eltis.org/sites/default/files/sustainable_urban_logistics_planning_0.pdf
https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/expert-groups-register/screen/expert-groups/consult?do=groupDetail.groupDetail&groupID=3165&NewSearch=1&NewSearch=1 .