European infrastructure was highlighted as a priority area for the Commission's €300bn investment fund for the next three years, and with 80% of European GDP now generated in urban areas, and two-thirds of all European citizens living in cities, UITP calls on the Commission to prioritise sustainable urban transport investment.
New EC president Mr Jean-Claude Juncker is planning to use the €300bn fund to kickstart the EU economy, although it is not clear yet where these funds will come from.
UITP advocates aligning the European Union's (EU) budgetary priorities with strategic policy ambitions and the use of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) to support sustainable urban mobility, in particular public transport. It also calls for the increased use of European structural and cohesion funds for urban areas and transport infrastructure as well as a greater focus on urban infrastructure and public transport in European funds for Research and Innovation.
"Public transport generates benefits well beyond the mobility sphere," says Mr Nicolas Blain, president of the UITP EU Committee. "By directly contributing to the competitiveness of cities, public transport creates value for individuals, businesses and public authorities. Investment in public transport creates value to the wider economy of three to four times the initial investment and is the ideal motor to get Europe growing again."
To see the full position paper, click here.
