European Mobility Week Campaign

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The European Mobility Week is an annual campaign on sustainable urban mobility, organised with the political and financial support of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Mobility and Transport. 

The aim of the campaign, which runs from 16 to 22 September every year, is to encourage European local authorities to introduce and promote sustainable transport measures and to invite people to try out alternatives to car use. The week culminates in the Car Free Day event, where participating towns and cities set aside one or several areas solely for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport for a whole day.  

Since its introduction in 2002, the impact of European Mobility Week has been steadily growing, both across Europe and around the world. Over 900 participating towns and cities organised a Car Free Day, and 7368 permanent measures were implemented in 1229 cities in 2016. The most popular measures were in categories such as new an​d improved bicycle facilities, improvement of pedestrianised infrastructure and the launching of awareness campaigns.

Theme

Each European Mobility Week focuses on a particular topic related to sustainable mobility, the so-called focal theme. Local authorities are required to organise activities for their citizens based on this theme. They are also encouraged to launch and promote permanent measures that support the theme.

1. Organising a week of activities, taking into account the theme of each year
 
2. Implementing at least one new permanent measure which contributes to modal transfer from the private car to an environmentally sound means of transport
 
3. Organising a Car-Free Day, setting aside one or several areas that are reserved solely for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport for at least one whole day. The Car Free Day should preferably be held on the 22nd of September.

If you’re doing something to promote the idea of sustainable urban mobility, you can register your Mobility Action on the EMW website and become part of the European Mobility Week campaign. A mobility action can be limited to a specific day or last for several weeks/months. The registration form can be submitted in English and the action must promote a behavioural shift towards a more sustainable urban mobility culture. Once registered, your steps to promote sustainable urban mobility will be displayed online. A complete explanation of the participation rules can be found online.