In the context of the discussion on the new Multiannual Financial Framework of the European Union for the period 2028-2034, in collaboration with the Hellenic Urban Cycling Federation, we addressed a joint letter to the Ministers of Infrastructure & Transport, Development, and Environment & Energy.
With this letter, we call on the Greek government to support the continuation and strengthening of European funding for cycling and active mobility projects during the next programming period. Cycling and forms of active mobility are investments with high social return, with significant benefits for public health, addressing the climate crisis, quality of life in cities and sustainable development.
We publish the full text of the letter below (translated from the original Greek), with the aim of contributing to the public debate on the shaping of a European budget that will effectively support sustainable mobility, and will give local and regional authorities the necessary tools to invest in safe and accessible infrastructure for all.
Athens, 12 June 2026
To: Christos Dimas / Minister of Infrastructure & Transport, Panagiotis Theodorikakos / Minister of Development, Stavros Papastavrou / Minister of Environment & Energy
Subject: Financing of cycling and active mobility in the new EU Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034
Dear Ministers,
As representatives of the two members of the European Cyclists Federation (ECF) for Greece, we are writing to you asking for your support so that the next European Union budget continues to finance cycling and active mobility projects for the benefit of citizens at local, regional and national levels in Greece.
EU Structural Funds are a valuable resource for governments at all levels seeking to provide more cycling and active mobility infrastructure and services to citizens.
According to the latest research by the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF), of which we are members, EU Structural Funds contributed €6.8 billion to cycling-related projects over the two EU programming periods covering the years 2014-2027.
The Cohesion Fund and the European Regional Development Fund are the two largest sources of investment, which have been used to create cycling bridges, cycling highways and cycle path networks that offer a safer place for citizens to travel. At the same time, bike rental and shared bike systems, bike parking areas, cycling promotion initiatives and bike-friendly policies have been funded.
The European Commission estimates that the EU funds committed to cycling in the period 2021-2027 could lead to the creation or upgrade of more than 12,000 km of cycling infrastructure.
Cycling creates significant benefits for health, climate and the environment. A cost-benefit analysis carried out in the Benelux countries and North Rhine-Westphalia concluded that each kilometer cycled creates a net social benefit of up to €0.98 per kilometer.
These benefits result from:
- the reduction of premature deaths due to increased physical activity,
- the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through the substitution of motorized travel,
- the significant reduction of noise and air pollution.
However, beyond the value it offers to citizens, the most important conclusion is that cycling yields an extremely high return on investment, making it one of the best investments a government can make in its transport and mobility system.
The next multiannual financial framework of the European Union is a significant opportunity for states to invest more in cycling through European funds.
We believe that investments of up to €8 billion by the end of the next programming period will enable millions more Europeans to choose cycling and will generate billions of euros in additional economic benefits for Member States.
To achieve this, we ask for your support so that the EU budget for the 2028-2034 period:
- Allows for the financing of sustainable and active mobility projects, such as cycling and active tourism initiatives, in the National and Regional Partnership Plans, as well as in the next European Regional Development Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the Interreg programme.
- Ensures the financing of sustainable and active mobility projects in urban areas, in particular in the urban nodes of the TEN-T network through the Connecting Europe Facility,
- Ensures that local and regional authorities will continue to have access to European funding for investments in cycling and active mobility projects, supporting their sustainable mobility, transport and tourism objectives.
- Provides for specific budget performance monitoring indicators so that European and national authorities can accurately record and monitor investments in cycling and active mobility projects funded by the EU, contributing to a more efficient and transparent use of European funds.
In the annex to this letter we include specific amendments proposed by the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) for the thematic legislative texts that we consider most important for investments in cycling and active mobility. We hope that these proposals will be taken into account by Greece during the negotiations with the European Parliament and the European Commission this year.
Thank you for your time and attention to the above recommendations.
Sincerely,
President HUCF Director of CFC
Panagiotis Pitsilos Spyros Papageorgiou