The European Commission recently adopted its first progress report on the European Declaration on Cycling, demonstrating strong momentum across the EU to boost cycling infrastructure and policies. The report, representing the first stocktake of progress since the Declaration's adoption in 2024, confirms cycling's essential role as a clean, affordable, and health-boosting mode of transport whilst highlighting the potential of cycling to tackle transport poverty by offering low-cost mobility options accessible to all Europeans.

The European Declaration on Cycling represents a landmark commitment recognising cycling as a fully-fledged mode of transport deserving dedicated policy attention and investment. The Declaration sets comprehensive principles for action encompassing planning, infrastructure, inclusivity, multimodality, investments, safety, industry engagement, and improved data collection. This progress report provides concrete evidence of how Member States, cities, and stakeholders are translating these principles into tangible action across Europe.

• From 2021–2027, €4.5 billion is earmarked for cycling infrastructure and initiatives, including €3.2 billion from EU funds, which will deliver over 12,000 km of new or upgraded cycle paths across Europe. An additional estimated €1.3 billion under the Recovery and Resilience Facility is dedicated to cycling-related projects.
• The EU-funded 'Cycling counts' study is conducting comprehensive mapping of cycling infrastructure across Europe, with preliminary results pointing to over 900,000 km of cycle paths, whilst revealing significant regional differences that highlight areas requiring further investment and development.
• A new network of national cycling contact points has been established across 26 Member States, working alongside the Expert Group on Urban Mobility to identify more than 270 measures advancing cycling policy and infrastructure, demonstrating unprecedented coordination and knowledge exchange at the European level.

Cycling represents a critical component of sustainable urban mobility systems, directly contributing to the EU's Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy and the goal of reducing transport emissions by 90% by 2050. Research and innovation play vital roles in advancing cycling infrastructure and services, from climate-proofing infrastructure against extreme weather events to developing safe parking solutions, electric bike charging systems in buildings, and seamless integration of bicycles with public transport, including improved bike carriage on trains.

The progress report identifies several areas requiring enhanced research and innovation focus: cycle logistics solutions for urban freight delivery, advanced safety technologies and infrastructure design, multimodal integration systems enabling seamless transitions between cycling and other transport modes, and engagement with industry to develop innovative cycling products and services.

Source: https://transport.ec.europa.eu/news-events/news/eu-progress-cycling-greener-healthier-more-inclusive-mobility-2025-10-01_en