Minister of State (Finance) Brian Hayes signs the European Cyclists’s Federation (ECF’s) European Parliament Election 2014 Manifesto of “10 Key Measures to get more people cycling more often in Europe”.

The finale to the three day annual delegate conference of the ECF held in Dublin from Thu 24 to Sat 26 April was the signing by Minister for State (Finance) Brian Hayes of the ECF’s European Parliament election 2014 Manifesto of “10 Key Measures to get more people cycling more often in Europe”.

The Manifesto is detailed here: http://www.ecf.com/manifesto-for-the-european-parliament-elections-2014/

“Cycling is hugely important. I am signing this pledge as a commitment of support for cycling in Ireland and in the EU”, said Minister Hayes, ahead of the European elections in a room packed with leading European cycling advocates.

Over seventy European cycling campaigners from twenty different countries were part of the biggest cycling advocacy event in Europe, hosted in Dublin and representing 50 million everyday cyclists.

“Every year the EU saves more than 200 billion Euro thanks to everyday cycling. This amount exceeds the entire GDP of Ireland. We need EU to invest 6 billion Euro in cycling as the return on investment is simply remarkable,” said ECF President Manfred Neun.

Cyclist.ie draws special attention to Declaration #6. “Transport and health: The benefits of cycling in health policy and the health dimension in transport appraisal”

“Transport and public health are intricately linked. Lack of physical activity is the greatest risk for major lifestyle diseases and the most important cost driver for European health care systems. Active mobility can reduce these costs considerably as prevention is much cheaper than treatment. Similarly, cost-benefit analysis in transport appraisal has shown that investing in cycling delivers higher benefit-cost ratios than investing in individual motorised transport, mainly due to the health benefits of cycling. As a consequence, the EU should recommend that Member States include the benefits of cycling in health policy and to integrate the health dimension in transport appraisal. If transport infrastructure is built with EU money, the health dimension must be integrated”.

Cyclist.ie chairman Mike McKillen stated that …”We really do want to see joined-up thinking as between the four key departments of state (Transport, Health, Education & Children) to bring about a paradigm-shift in traffic management so that children will get back to cycling to school. The silo-mentality within departments that prevents a holistic intervention to solve pressing public health issues such as overweight/obesity has to be ended. We know from an ESRI report on ‘Growing Up in Ireland’ (2011) that 26% of Irish 9-year olds are already overweight/obese. The morbidity costs to the state are simply enormous if we fail to tackle the general lack of aerobic exercise occasioned by the over-reliance on doing the school run by car”.

Declaration #1. EU funds for cycle projects is also central to Cyclist.ie policy

Better provisions for cycling will encourage more people to cycle more often. ECF therefore believes that 10% of all transport budgets should be earmarked for cycling. In the EU, this would translate into €6bn of investments for cycle projects for the period 2014 - 2019. During the previous EU Financial period (2007 – 2013), approximately €600 million (i.e. 0.7 % of EU co-funding) was earmarked for cycling infrastructure from its €82 billion fund for transport infrastructure.

Declaration #2. Support EuroVelo, the European cycle route network

EuroVelo, the European cycle route network, is a network of 14 long-distance cycle routes that connect the entire continent and continue to this Island. EuroVelo is coordinated at the European level by the ECF with a network of National EuroVelo Coordination Centres organising the realisation of the routes at a national level. These organisations are working together to complete the network by 2020. Europe’s contribution to that should be the earmarking of TEN-T funds for building EuroVelo infrastructure and by providing financial and technical assistance for the coordination and promotion of the network on the European level. Cyclist.ie has agreed to the National Trails Office (NTO) acting as its agent in Ireland to coordinate this greenway development work so vital for sustainable tourism.

ENDS

Contact

Dr. Mike McKillen (Cyclist.ie): 087-2314 613
Elina Baltatzi (ECF): e.baltatziMoveWeek@ecf.com; Tel. No. +32 2 808 58 76

Transport and public health are intricately linked. Lack of physical activity is the greatest risk for major lifestyle diseases and the most important cost driver for European health care systems. Active mobility can reduce these costs considerably as prevention is much cheaper than treatment. Similarly, cost-benefit analysis in transport appraisal has shown that investing in cycling delivers higher benefit-cost ratios than investing in individual motorised transport, mainly due to the health benefits of cycling. As a consequence, the EU should recommend that Member States include the benefits of cycling in health policy and to integrate the health dimension in transport appraisal. If transport infrastructure is built with EU money, the health dimension must be integrated. - See more at: http://www.ecf.com/manifesto-for-the-european-parliament-elections-2014/…

The benefits of cycling in health policy and the health dimension in transport appraisal - See more at: http://www.ecf.com/manifesto-for-the-european-parliament-elections-2014/… Transport and public health are intricately linked. Lack of physical activity is the greatest risk for major lifestyle diseases and the most important cost driver for European health care systems. Active mobility can reduce these costs considerably as prevention is much cheaper than treatment. Similarly, cost-benefit analysis in transport appraisal has shown that investing in cycling delivers higher benefit-cost ratios than investing in individual motorised transport, mainly due to the health benefits of cycling. As a consequence, the EU should recommend that Member States include the benefits of cycling in health policy and to integrate the health dimension in transport appraisal. If transport infrastructure is built with EU money, the health dimension must be integrated. - See more at: http://www.ecf.com/manifesto-for-the-european-parliament-elections-2014/…
Transport and public health are intricately linked. Lack of physical activity is the greatest risk for major lifestyle diseases and the most important cost driver for European health care systems. Active mobility can reduce these costs considerably as prevention is much cheaper than treatment. Similarly, cost-benefit analysis in transport appraisal has shown that investing in cycling delivers higher benefit-cost ratios than investing in individual motorised transport, mainly due to the health benefits of cycling. As a consequence, the EU should recommend that Member States include the benefits of cycling in health policy and to integrate the health dimension in transport appraisal. If transport infrastructure is built with EU money, the health dimension must be integrated. - See more at: http://www.ecf.com/manifesto-for-the-european-parliament-elections-2014/…