The European Commission's Urban Mobility Days (UMD) conference was hosted in Vilnius on 29 September to 2 October, with a full day dedicated to cycling.
The major highlight was the Commission's publication of its first
Progress Report on the Implementation of the European Cycling Declaration. Much of that report's content was
contributed by a subgroup on cycling that ECF co-leads with Eurocities within the larger Expert Group on Urban Mobility (EGUM), a formal working group set up by the Commission to channel expertise on urban mobility from civil society and governments into policymaking.
ECF published its reaction to the progress report when it was published in July 2025, noting how it documented clear progress on cycling at all levels while also showing where further action is needed.
ECF was well-represented at the UMD with a large delegation, with some key speaking slots on the ‘cycling day’ of the conference:
- Laurianne Krid, CEO, spoke on a high-level plenary with the head of Commission’s DG MOVE, Magda Kopczyńska, the Deputy Mayor of Bologna, Anna Lisa Boni, and the Head of Sustainable Mobility for the Lithuanian Government, Gintarė Janušaitienė. Panellists praised the progress on cited in the Commission’s report on the European Cycling Declaration, while also agreeing that more action was needed to combat bicycle theft, creating more financing options for cycling projects and stimulate the growth in the modal share of cycling throughout the EU.
- Agathe Daudibon, EuroVelo & Cycling Tourism Director, spoke on a panel on the topic to publicise how most of EuroVelo route usage happens in cities, and not in rural areas.
- Philip Amaral, Director of Policy and Development, facilitated a panel on the topic of women and cycling, delving into topics about the barriers women face on cycling and how the cycling industry can work to promote women’s perspectives and needs more effectively.
- Holger Haubold, Director of Intellectual Property and Data Collection, spoke about the importance of standardising the way cycling data is collected in the EU, with a special focus on the ‘Cycling Counts’ project – which ECF is implementing with other partners and seeks to quantify crucial information about cycling infrastructure networks throughout the EU.
The entire Cycling Counts team at ECF was present at the UMD to facilitate a special workshop on the project that included participation from EU Member State transport ministry representatives who focus on cycling. The project was a hot topic of discussion during coffee breaks and networking sessions because of its comprehensive work to understand how much cycling infrastructure exists in Europe, and in particularly which areas are less served than others. The project is financed through a public tender offered by the Commission with the aim of establishing a baseline for cycling data, and a methodology to keep collecting it.
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The Cycling Counts project is one of the most concrete points of implementation from the European Cycling Declaration thus far, and it’s results are needed more than ever to enable theEU and national, regional and local authorities understand how to further develop cycling networks, infrastructure and services to make the most of what cycling can offer for the economy, liveable cities, connected rural areas and for sustainable transport,” said
Philip Amaral, ECF’s Director for Policy and Development.
What’s next for the European Cycling Declaration?
As noted by UMD participants, more work is needed to assure the full implementation of the declaration in the years to come.
Many of the declaration’s commitments should be filtered into legislation in the next few years. For example, the Commission’s plan to publish a legislative proposal on ‘Clean Corporate Vehicles’ by the end of this year is an excellent opportunity to include bike leasing and other financial incentives that companies can offer to provide employees with access to bikes.
Most importantly, funding for active mobility and cycling should be incorporated into the next EU Multiannual Financial Framework for 2028-2034. The Commission published a proposal during the summer which is currently being responded to by the European Parliament and Member States.
However the budget is structured, regions and cities must be able to maintain access to EU structural funds to finance projects that can substantially move the needle for cycling – completing national, regional and urban cycle route networks, filling in gaps in the EuroVelo network, building multimodal passenger hubs that seamlessly connect with cycling infrastructure, and developing plans for large scale cycling projects that put cycling on par with other modes of transport.
ECF is also urging the Commission to continue its monitoring of the cycling declaration, particularly through the Expert Group on Urban Mobility, but also through other more formal means that can document progress more systematically.
