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Calling for more EU budget for local public transport: UITP joins forces with other transport organisations

02/04/2024

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UITP and 43 European transport organisations, representing the key spectrum of Europe’s transport network, are once again joining forces to push for more funding for public transport.

In a new campaign, this coalition is urging the Council and the European Parliament to increase the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) budget for transport in the upcoming review of the Multi-Annual Financial Framework.

UITP, as part of the coalition, insists on the strategic importance of the public transport sector in responding to Europe’s environmental and mobility challenges.

Recent and ongoing crises have proven once again that only with a strong, adaptable, and innovative local public transport sector at its core, Europe will be able to respond effectively to massive disruptions andachieve the Green Deal’s objectives.

Which other sector has such a positive impact on European citizens, every single day, and contributes so much to the overarching environmental and societal European policy goals?  But public transport is facing structural and long-term issues such as the increase of energy prices, staff shortages, declining fare revenues and new mobility patterns. It is more than ever crucial that the EU continues to support the development of local public transport in the next Multiannual Financial Framework with increased funding and simplified access requirements.
Thomas Avanzata
Spokesperson of the UITP EU Committee

If Europe is to strengthen its resilience, be a leader in the shift to net-zero and finally complete the Trans-European Transport Network, it must translate its words into deeds and reflect these ambitions in the new EU budget for public transport.

The massive oversubscriptions of the current CEF transport budget underline once again that the ambitions and challenges of the transport sector are high, yet are not met with the necessary EU support.

The takeaway for European leaders and policymakers should be clear: this is the moment for Europe to reverse the trend of continued underfunding of the public transport sector and set the bar high.

A strong CEF instrument for transport is the best guarantee to deliver high EU added value, foster a level playing field across Europe and enable no regret investments.

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