Sustainable and smart mobility strategy – Delivered at local level

On 9 December 2020, the European Commission put forward a sustainable and smart mobility strategy, outlining its planned steps to transform the European Union (EU) transport system to meet the ambition of the European Green Deal and the objectives of the EU's digital strategy. The strategy aims to rebuild the European transport sector, badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic, making it greener, smarter and more resilient, while leaving no one behind. This is to be achieved by strengthening the existing rules, proposing new legislation and providing support measures and guidance. The Commission will start to make proposals for the planned measures in 2021. Once agreed by the EU legislators and adopted as new EU rules, these will have to be implemented. While national governments will be expected to align their existing national legislation with the new requirements, the task of putting the new rules into practice will often be managed by public administrations at regional and local level. Cities and regions will have to adapt their existing systems and invest to make transport more sustainable, but also to allow citizens to better combine the available mobility options, enabling them to reduce their daily travel needs while ensuring connectivity and service accessibility. This briefing looks at the policy and other support that the European Commission is providing for local and regional authorities to facilitate the mobility transition. Following established practice, they will be invited to contribute to the design of the individual measures outlined in the strategy. They should also have their say in setting their national priorities for receiving EU financing for the post-coronavirus recovery, as an opportunity to start transforming the transport system from the local level. This Briefing has been drafted following a request from a member of the European Committee of the Regions, in the framework of the Cooperation Agreement between the Parliament and the Committee.