The Mobility Transition Pathway (MTP) is a policy shaping-exercise led by the European Commission’s department for competitiveness and industry (DG GROW). It is part of a broader Transition Pathway initiative involving 14 different sector-specific workstreams, from tourism to chemicals, to shape future EU industry policy priorities and support sustainable competitiveness in the EU.
The MTP invites companies and organisations across the automotive, rail, maritime and cycling industries to submit so-called ‘pledges’ that show key initiatives and developments they are undertaking to contribute to the digital and green transition in their field of action. In turn, DG GROW will assess what specific actions and commitments are needed to accompany the transition of the mobility ecosystem.
Cycling companies and associations across Europe seized the opportunity to share their plans about growth, sustainability, innovation, digitalisation and transformation during the first round of pledging, which closed in October 2024. This is confirmed by the list of pledges published by the European Commission following an in-depth review in late 2024, with 47 of the 80 published pledges in total coming from the cycling industry ecosystem.
Earlier this year, the European Commission opened a window for further pledges, inviting mobility companies and associations to continue sharing their achievements, plans and goals that are delivering growth, transformation and sustainability. The deadline to submit pledges for this second round of ‘pledging’ is 28 February 2025.
Our view at Cycling Industries Europe is that it essential to build on the momentum and continue showing the European Commission that cycling is the answer – not just to clean mobility and greener cities, but also to a competitive and sustainable mobility industry ecosystem. ‘Actions speak louder than words’: by submitting pledges, companies can show the concrete actions they are taking to play their part in creating a competitive and green mobility industry transformation, as well as highlight where policy support needs to be chanelled and ramped up.
As such, the first round of pledges clearly tells the European Commission about the actions and gaps in key areas such as sustainable bicycle manufacturing, e-bike battery supply, skills and workforce, the development of bike leasing services and the need to implement the EU Declaration on Cycling.
At CIE, our regular exchanges with members give us clear signs that nearly all are undertaking – or have already recently achieved - something worth telling the European Commission via the Mobility Transition Pathway.
In this regard, the first round of pledges provides a good set of examples to take inspiration from, in terms of both content and format. The first round of pledges shows that there are many topics cycling companies and associations can pledge about, that a pledge can refer to an initiative that is already underway or recently completed, and that pledges can be drafted in succinct and simple language, as long as they include a quantified objective.
Are you developing a new line of sustainably manufactured bicycles? Are you growing your offer of bike leasing services? Are you training staff? Are you collecting mobility data via ITS-enabled devices? Are you facilitating circularity? Are you deploying shared bike networks?
We also understand that delivering so-called pledges can in some cases appear as daunting and uncertain. This is why we will strive to support and help our members to continue identifying, formulating and submitting MTP pledges, showing that the cycling industry is delivering solutions from both a mobility and industry perspective.
Join CIE for first hand information and support for the implementation of the Mobility Transition Pathway.
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