ECF President Henk Swarttouw opened this year’s meeting by welcoming the delegates to Brussels and thanking them for their ongoing support and advocacy work to advance cycling. Laurianne Krid, ECF CEO, also gave a warm welcome, thanking the Board, Staff and members for their dedication in advancing ECF’s agenda.
Henk Swarttouw, ECF President Laurianne Krid, ECF CEO
ECF was grateful to host Piotr Rapacz, Team Leader Urban Policy at the Directorate-General for Environment (DG ENV) of the European Commission to deliver the Keynote Speech.
ECF in 2025 and beyond
Laurianne Krid, 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 2025, Laurianne highlighted ECF’s work in securing stronger recognition for cycling in EU policy and supporting members in their work across Europe. She also reflected on the continued growth of EuroVelo, the renewed momentum around Velo‑city and the impact of ECF’s networks and projects.
Turning to 2026 and beyond, the 2030 Strategy remains the beacon that guides ECF’s work. ECF will use renewed leadership and unique know-how to establish a stronger presence in Brussels. This includes gaining more visibility with European institutions, sustaining existing collaborations, creating new ones, but also further empowering ECF members and partners with content and connections. ECF also intends to sustain its reputation as a leading expert on cycling in Europe and the world. Special emphasis was placed on ECF’s determination to expand its data-driven approach, building on recent progress to better support evidence-based advocacy for cycling and active mobility.
This year, ECF welcomed two new organisations as Associate Members since the last AGM: Transport & Environment (BE) and Velo Schools Skopje (MK). Transport & Environment represents organisations with an interest in the environmental and health impacts of transport. They advocate for a zero-emission transport and energy system that is affordable, circular, and has minimal impacts on our health and the environment. Velo Schools Skopje is a non-profit organisation from North Macedonia that promotes cycling as a safe, healthy, and sustainable means of transport for students on a national level. Through a network of over 180 primary schools across more than 45 municipalities, they organise educational activities encouraging more children to cycle to and from school.
ECF also welcomed the Polish Cyclists’ Federation (PL) as Full member. This federation gathers civil society organisations committed to working together to promote cycling in Poland as an environmentally friendly and healthy mode of transport and recreation. Its areas of activity include the development of cycling education, cycling tourism, safe road infrastructure, and empowering local cycling organisations.
The day ended with a workshop focusing on ECF Communications Campaigns, led by Daniel Lissoni, ECF Communications and Media Relations Manager. Different tools and initiatives were presented to members, along with practical guidance on how to use these assets to strengthen national and local campaigns.
On the second day, a panel discussion was held on membership models and finance opportunities, moderated by Philip Amaral, ECF Policy & Development Director. It featured Sarah Mitchell (CEO, Cycling UK), Damien Ó Tuama (National Cycling Coordinator, Irish Cycling Campaign), Monique Goldschmit (President, ProVelo.lu) and Dan Kollár (Executive President, Cyklokoalícia).
ECF also held Board elections this year. Our members elected Matthew Baldwin to a first term as Board member.
The ECF AGM 2026 concluded with a bike tour across Brussels led by our Belgian members Fietsersbond Belgium, Avello, Pro Velo Belgium and Fietsberaad, bringing two days of knowledge sharing and inspiring exchanges between the international cycling community to a close.
AGM 2027 Luxembourg
ECF is very pleased to announce that next year’s AGM will take place in Luxembourg and will be co-hosted by ProVelo.lu!
ECF and ECI organise joint workshop for their members
After a transformative year 2025 for both organisations, with new leadership and a successful merger between CONEBI and CIE to form European Cycling Industries (ECI), ECI and ECF decided to further strengthen their collaboration by inviting their respective national members to a joint workshop on the day before the ECF AGM. Joining forces at national and European levels leverages the combined strength of the cycling industry and cyclists organisations, a partnership that is unique in the mobility sector.
In the introductory panel discussion, Kenneth Øhrberg Krag, CEO of the Danish Cyclists’ Federation, and Florence Gall, General Manager of France Vélo, the French economic sector organisation of which French ECF member FUB is a member, gave insights into advocacy initiatives for cycling incentives in their countries. The ECI Leasing Expert Group, of which ECF is a member, introduced participants to the topic of company bike leasing, which is relevant both for making high quality (e-)bikes affordable for employees and growing cycling to work, and for growing the European cycling industry. The following working sessions focused on developing joint advocacy roadmaps on company bike leasing or other relevant topics that cycling industry and civil society can implement at national level.
Henk Swarttouw, ECF President Laurianne Krid, ECF CEO
ECF was grateful to host Piotr Rapacz, Team Leader Urban Policy at the Directorate-General for Environment (DG ENV) of the European Commission to deliver the Keynote Speech.
Piotr Rapacz
ECF in 2025 and beyond
Laurianne Krid, 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 2025, Laurianne highlighted ECF’s work in securing stronger recognition for cycling in EU policy and supporting members in their work across Europe. She also reflected on the continued growth of EuroVelo, the renewed momentum around Velo‑city and the impact of ECF’s networks and projects.
Turning to 2026 and beyond, the 2030 Strategy remains the beacon that guides ECF’s work. ECF will use renewed leadership and unique know-how to establish a stronger presence in Brussels. This includes gaining more visibility with European institutions, sustaining existing collaborations, creating new ones, but also further empowering ECF members and partners with content and connections. ECF also intends to sustain its reputation as a leading expert on cycling in Europe and the world. Special emphasis was placed on ECF’s determination to expand its data-driven approach, building on recent progress to better support evidence-based advocacy for cycling and active mobility.
This year, ECF welcomed two new organisations as Associate Members since the last AGM: Transport & Environment (BE) and Velo Schools Skopje (MK). Transport & Environment represents organisations with an interest in the environmental and health impacts of transport. They advocate for a zero-emission transport and energy system that is affordable, circular, and has minimal impacts on our health and the environment. Velo Schools Skopje is a non-profit organisation from North Macedonia that promotes cycling as a safe, healthy, and sustainable means of transport for students on a national level. Through a network of over 180 primary schools across more than 45 municipalities, they organise educational activities encouraging more children to cycle to and from school.
Sophia Wiegand, EU Affairs Officer, Transport & Environment; Nikola Neshkoski, Founder, Velo Schools Skopje
ECF also welcomed the Polish Cyclists’ Federation (PL) as Full member. This federation gathers civil society organisations committed to working together to promote cycling in Poland as an environmentally friendly and healthy mode of transport and recreation. Its areas of activity include the development of cycling education, cycling tourism, safe road infrastructure, and empowering local cycling organisations.
Olivier Schneider, President, Polish Cyclists’ Federation
The day ended with a workshop focusing on ECF Communications Campaigns, led by Daniel Lissoni, ECF Communications and Media Relations Manager. Different tools and initiatives were presented to members, along with practical guidance on how to use these assets to strengthen national and local campaigns.
On the second day, a panel discussion was held on membership models and finance opportunities, moderated by Philip Amaral, ECF Policy & Development Director. It featured Sarah Mitchell (CEO, Cycling UK), Damien Ó Tuama (National Cycling Coordinator, Irish Cycling Campaign), Monique Goldschmit (President, ProVelo.lu) and Dan Kollár (Executive President, Cyklokoalícia).
Panel with ECF Member Representatives
ECF also held Board elections this year. Our members elected Matthew Baldwin to a first term as Board member.
Matthew Baldwin during the ECF AGM 2026
The ECF AGM 2026 concluded with a bike tour across Brussels led by our Belgian members Fietsersbond Belgium, Avello, Pro Velo Belgium and Fietsberaad, bringing two days of knowledge sharing and inspiring exchanges between the international cycling community to a close.
ECF Members during the bike tour
AGM 2027 Luxembourg
ECF is very pleased to announce that next year’s AGM will take place in Luxembourg and will be co-hosted by ProVelo.lu!
Monique Goldschmit and Micheline Rosch (ProVelo.lu) presenting the AGM 2027 to take place in Luxembourg
ECF and ECI organise joint workshop for their members
After a transformative year 2025 for both organisations, with new leadership and a successful merger between CONEBI and CIE to form European Cycling Industries (ECI), ECI and ECF decided to further strengthen their collaboration by inviting their respective national members to a joint workshop on the day before the ECF AGM. Joining forces at national and European levels leverages the combined strength of the cycling industry and cyclists organisations, a partnership that is unique in the mobility sector.
Laurianne Krid, ECF CEO and Paul Walsh, ECI CEO
Photo credit: Theodore Boermans
Photo credit: Theodore Boermans
In the introductory panel discussion, Kenneth Øhrberg Krag, CEO of the Danish Cyclists’ Federation, and Florence Gall, General Manager of France Vélo, the French economic sector organisation of which French ECF member FUB is a member, gave insights into advocacy initiatives for cycling incentives in their countries. The ECI Leasing Expert Group, of which ECF is a member, introduced participants to the topic of company bike leasing, which is relevant both for making high quality (e-)bikes affordable for employees and growing cycling to work, and for growing the European cycling industry. The following working sessions focused on developing joint advocacy roadmaps on company bike leasing or other relevant topics that cycling industry and civil society can implement at national level.
Workshop participants during the working sessions
