The first ever EU cycling strategy should be developed following a near-unanimous vote by the European Parliament in Strasbourg this week. With this vote, MEPs said the EU cycling strategy should support cycling and the cycling industry; double the kilometres cycled in Europe by 2030; name 2024 as the European Year of Cycling; and call for the EU to support the production of ‘Made in Europe’ bicycles and components. The call for the strategy was made on the initiative of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament.

Dublin MEP Ciarán Cuffe welcomed the vote outcome, saying: “This strategy is a golden opportunity to take the learnings from our European neighbours and transform the cycling experience in Dublin. It’s not just about cycling infrastructure in Amsterdam and Copenhagen: it’s also about jobs in bicycle production and maintenance from Romania to Ireland, as well as boosting  cycling tourism, which is worth tens of billions of euros to the European economy. Bicycles can no longer be the poor relation in EU transport policy, there is now commitment across the board to give substantial investment and support to cycling across the EU. This is already reflected in draft EU laws that will legislate for better cycling infrastructure and better conditions for the cycling industry in Europe. This approach will deliver for people right across the society and even for those who don’t cycle; with less air pollution in urban areas, better health outcomes, lower emissions, and more jobs.”