On 16 and 17 May 2025, over 50 representatives of cycling organisations from across Europe convened at the Winkel van Sinkel in Utrecht’s city centre, the Netherlands, for ECF’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2025. This year's meeting was kindly hosted by ECF member Fietsersbond, on the occasion of their 50th Anniversary, with the support of the City of Utrecht and the Province of Utrecht.
Ester van Garderen, Fietsersbond CEO, opened the meeting and welcomed the delegates to Utrecht, highlighting the importance of hosting this meeting during Fietsersbond’s 50th anniversary year. Esther presented some landmark advocacy wins of the organisation over the last half century, and reiterated Fietsersbond’s commitment to achieve cycling happiness for everyone!
Henk Swarttouw, ECF President, welcomed the delegates and thanked Fietsersbond, the City of Utrecht, and the Province of Utrecht for hosting, as well as the ECF members, for their ongoing support and tireless advocacy work. Jill Warren, ECF CEO, in turn also gave a warm welcome, thanking the Board, Staff and members for their dedication in advancing ECF’s agenda.
André van Schie, Deputy for Mobility in the Province of Utrecht, delivered the keynote speech, during which he presented the Cycling Policy Program of the province of Utrecht for 2024-2029. The program outcomes are (1) to increase the cycling modal split to 50% for journeys up to 15km (from 38% in 2022), and (2) to increase the user rating of cycle routes on the provincial part of the cycle network. The Province of Utrecht aims to achieve these outcomes by working on a strong regional cycling network, creating continuous cycle routes and remove barriers, and by encouraging people to cycle more often. The plan of action consists of measures from cycling infrastructure to cycling culture, and has a total budget of over 100 million euro.
Left: André van Schie, Deputy for Mobility, Province of Utrecht // Right: Jill Warren, CEO, ECF
ECF in 2024 and beyond
Jill Warren, ECF CEO and Jan Vermeulen, ECF Board Member and Treasurer presented last year’s annual and financial reports as well as the organisation’s plans for the year ahead. In presenting the ECF Annual Report 2024, Jill highlighted key advocacy achievements such as the EU Declaration on Cycling formally adopted in April 2024, bicycle parking standards being enshrined in EU law through the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), cycling being added to the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), as well as the inclusion of cycling infrastructure in the EU’s 87 billion euro Social Climate Fund. On an international level, ECF once again took the global cycling movement to the UN COP conference, where active mobility was featured in a COP breakthrough target for the first time. For 2025, ECF work is geared towards our 2030 Strategy by delivering on the objectives of our core policy and legislative work, ongoing and new projects, members and networks consolidation and growth, our EuroVelo network and services, and the Velo-city conference series.
Furthermore, ECF welcomed six new Associate Members since the last AGM; Wheels for Wellbeing (UK), Active Mobility (AL), Cycling Family Partnership Organisation (MN), Cycling Without Age (DK), Pikala Bikes (MA), Organisation for Positive Urbanism (CY), and three new Full Members approved during the meeting; Institute for Urban Mobility (RS), HerzegovinaBike (BA) and Maribor Cycling Network (SI).
Left: Panel with ECF Member Representatives // Right: Bike tour
On the second day, a panel discussion was held on cycling advocacy in changing political contexts, moderated by Philip Amaral, ECF Policy & Development Director, featuring Caroline Lodemann, Federal Managing Director German Cyclists Association (ADFC), Esther van Garderen, CEO Fietsersbond Netherlands, Inge Smolders, CEO Fietsersbond Belgium, Sarah Mitchell, CEO Cycling UK and Celine Scornavacca, Co-President of FUB.
The delegates were generously hosted on Friday evening by the City of Utrecht and Fietsersbond at the historic Stadskasteel Ouaden, where they were warmly welcomed Eva Oosters, Alderwoman, City of Utrecht. The ECF AGM 2025 concluded with a guided cycling tour on Saturday afternoon, led by Fietsersbond Utrecht local chapter.
ECF also held Board elections this year. Our members re-elected Jan Vermeulen as Treasurer, and Angela Francke as Board member, and elected Dan Kollár and Slađana Lazarević to a first term as Board members.
From left to right: Silvia Casorran, Jan Vermeulen, Slađana Lazarević, Angela Francke, Henk Swarttouw, Dan Kollár, Sidsel Birk Hjuler, Sir Graham Watson
ECF wishes to thank our hosts once again, Fietsersbond, City of Utrecht and Province of Utrecht for their gracious hospitality and support.
Ester van Garderen, Fietsersbond CEO, opened the meeting and welcomed the delegates to Utrecht, highlighting the importance of hosting this meeting during Fietsersbond’s 50th anniversary year. Esther presented some landmark advocacy wins of the organisation over the last half century, and reiterated Fietsersbond’s commitment to achieve cycling happiness for everyone!
Henk Swarttouw, ECF President, welcomed the delegates and thanked Fietsersbond, the City of Utrecht, and the Province of Utrecht for hosting, as well as the ECF members, for their ongoing support and tireless advocacy work. Jill Warren, ECF CEO, in turn also gave a warm welcome, thanking the Board, Staff and members for their dedication in advancing ECF’s agenda.
André van Schie, Deputy for Mobility in the Province of Utrecht, delivered the keynote speech, during which he presented the Cycling Policy Program of the province of Utrecht for 2024-2029. The program outcomes are (1) to increase the cycling modal split to 50% for journeys up to 15km (from 38% in 2022), and (2) to increase the user rating of cycle routes on the provincial part of the cycle network. The Province of Utrecht aims to achieve these outcomes by working on a strong regional cycling network, creating continuous cycle routes and remove barriers, and by encouraging people to cycle more often. The plan of action consists of measures from cycling infrastructure to cycling culture, and has a total budget of over 100 million euro.
Left: André van Schie, Deputy for Mobility, Province of Utrecht // Right: Jill Warren, CEO, ECF
ECF in 2024 and beyond
Jill Warren, ECF CEO and Jan Vermeulen, ECF Board Member and Treasurer presented last year’s annual and financial reports as well as the organisation’s plans for the year ahead. In presenting the ECF Annual Report 2024, Jill highlighted key advocacy achievements such as the EU Declaration on Cycling formally adopted in April 2024, bicycle parking standards being enshrined in EU law through the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), cycling being added to the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), as well as the inclusion of cycling infrastructure in the EU’s 87 billion euro Social Climate Fund. On an international level, ECF once again took the global cycling movement to the UN COP conference, where active mobility was featured in a COP breakthrough target for the first time. For 2025, ECF work is geared towards our 2030 Strategy by delivering on the objectives of our core policy and legislative work, ongoing and new projects, members and networks consolidation and growth, our EuroVelo network and services, and the Velo-city conference series.
Furthermore, ECF welcomed six new Associate Members since the last AGM; Wheels for Wellbeing (UK), Active Mobility (AL), Cycling Family Partnership Organisation (MN), Cycling Without Age (DK), Pikala Bikes (MA), Organisation for Positive Urbanism (CY), and three new Full Members approved during the meeting; Institute for Urban Mobility (RS), HerzegovinaBike (BA) and Maribor Cycling Network (SI).
Left: Panel with ECF Member Representatives // Right: Bike tour
On the second day, a panel discussion was held on cycling advocacy in changing political contexts, moderated by Philip Amaral, ECF Policy & Development Director, featuring Caroline Lodemann, Federal Managing Director German Cyclists Association (ADFC), Esther van Garderen, CEO Fietsersbond Netherlands, Inge Smolders, CEO Fietsersbond Belgium, Sarah Mitchell, CEO Cycling UK and Celine Scornavacca, Co-President of FUB.
The delegates were generously hosted on Friday evening by the City of Utrecht and Fietsersbond at the historic Stadskasteel Ouaden, where they were warmly welcomed Eva Oosters, Alderwoman, City of Utrecht. The ECF AGM 2025 concluded with a guided cycling tour on Saturday afternoon, led by Fietsersbond Utrecht local chapter.
ECF also held Board elections this year. Our members re-elected Jan Vermeulen as Treasurer, and Angela Francke as Board member, and elected Dan Kollár and Slađana Lazarević to a first term as Board members.
From left to right: Silvia Casorran, Jan Vermeulen, Slađana Lazarević, Angela Francke, Henk Swarttouw, Dan Kollár, Sidsel Birk Hjuler, Sir Graham Watson
ECF wishes to thank our hosts once again, Fietsersbond, City of Utrecht and Province of Utrecht for their gracious hospitality and support.
