When CIE’s predecessor body the Cycling Industry Club was set up in 2012, the EU spent just €600k from its Cohesion funds on cycling infrastructure across all member states. Growing that figure was a priority for the industry and all our partners.
Now we welcome the news that the current budget has grown to €4.5 billion, on top of €1.7 billion secured in the EU Recovery and Resilience Funds, in line with our priority commitments to improve the quality, quantity, continuity and attractiveness of cycling infrastructure across all Member States.
Today that return on investment is clear – for every Euro spent by the industry in stronger advocacy for infrastructure has returned €1000 in EU funds, even before national budgets are added.
That has happened because of the work of the European cycling associations setting the framework for investment at an EU policy level, and the tireless work of national and regional cycling partners getting cycling into their regional programmes.
That has been supported by the funding that CIE members have committed to infrastructure advocacy since 2012, boosting the professionalism of our whole sector. In 2012 our founding members decided that growing EU expenditure on infrastructure was key priority and invested our member fees in strengthening the advocacy work of the national cycling associations across the Union through their umbrella body European Cyclists’ Federation.
As the Cycling Industry Club became CIE we added a strong industrial presence in the lobbies, adding more business and economic arguments to the case for infrastructure. But we also agreed that we would recognize the leadership of ECF, their members and their networks on cycling infrastructure lobbying, giving them stable long-term funding. That’s a perfect team!
So, thank you to our founders for your vision and investment, without your continuous support this would not have been possible. To ECF and your members for your professionalism and expertise, and to all the supporters and partners that work for more and better cycling infrastructure across the EU.
Next steps?
The European Declaration on Cycling, which was adopted in April, further recognises cycling as a sustainable, accessible, inclusive, affordable and healthy means of transport, with strong added value to the EU economy. The Declaration lists principles to boost cycling that will guide future action in the EU and CIE really expects that this should be backed with more funding in forthcoming budgets.
See more details of EU's planned funding on cycling under the Cohesion Fund, including information per country and examples of cycling projects here.
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