Backsliding on sustainable urban mobility in right-wing and far-right cities
23.4.2025
Question for written answer  E-001627/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Rosa Serrano Sierra (S&D)
In recent years, especially after the pandemic, many Spanish cities boosted sustainable mobility measures which received part-funding from EU funds. However, this trend has stopped – and even been reversed – in several places currently administered by Spain’s Popular Party, in many cases in coalition with Vox, which have begun to remove cycle lanes, reopen pedestrian streets to vehicles and prioritise motorised traffic.
These decisions constitute backsliding on sustainable mobility and place an additional obstacle in the way of the future Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) to be adopted in urban centres such as these by 2027 in conformity with Regulation 2024/1679.
Given this situation, can Commission answer the following questions:
- 1.Is sustainable urban mobility still a priority for the Commission?
- 2.Does the Commission not consider that promoting active mobility through concrete measures to improve walking and cycling can have positive repercussions on the accessibility of functional urban areas in the EU?
- 3.Does the Commission not believe that local-level decisions to dismantle cycling infrastructure, remove pedestrian areas and give preference to vehicle use clash with the SUMP objectives of switching towards more sustainable forms of mobility and reducing air and noise pollution?
Submitted: 23.4.2025