Main Document (170Kb PDF) | Annex (600 Kb PDF)

Following European Commission's commitment within the Thematic Strategy on the urban environment a preparatory document on Sustainable Urban Transport Plans (SUTP) including an annex (covering cases studies, review of good practices and research etc.), have been elaborated by the European Commission Directorate-General for Environment. These documents aim to assist the consultation on the Green Paper on urban transport. Further developments on SUTPs will be undertaken in the context of the Action Plan foreseen by the Green Paper.

This document and its annex are not legally-binding but represent a synthesis of the information and experience available to the Commission. They are intended as a summary of the current state of the art with respect to best practice on sustainable urban transport which recognises the diversity between conurbations across the EU. They should be seen more as a procedural aid and a summary of the key elements and good practice that could be considered when developing Sustainable Urban Transport Plans at local levels.

Introduction to the Sustainable Urban Transport Plans

The Commission's Thematic Strategy on the urban environment was adopted in 2006 and described a number of common environmental challenges and problems faced by most European conurbations although the scale and intensity of these problems vary. These issues comprise: poor air quality, traffic volumes and congestion, high levels of ambient noise, neglect of the built environment, high level of greenhouse gas emissions, social exclusion and urban sprawl. These are serious pressures since they have significant effects on the environment, health and economic performance of European conurbations.

The Thematic Strategy stressed that urban mobility contributes significantly to these pressures. That is why it strongly recommended the development and implementation of Sustainable Urban Transport Plans (SUTP) and proposed that guidance be prepared to help local authorities in this respect. This was fully supported in 2006 by the European Parliament's resolution on the Commission's Thematic Strategy and by the renewed EU Strategy on Sustainable Development adopted by the European Council.

Since the adoption of the Strategy, the Commission decided to launch a wider debate on urban mobility and this preparatory document aims to assist this Green Paper consultation exercise by providing a synthesis of available information on sustainable urban transport plans. It is supplemented with an annex on best practice examples and useful references which are made available on DG Environment's EUROPA website. The current document is not prescriptive. It is based upon the input and feedback from extensive stakeholders' consultations, the results of Community research in the field of land use and urban transport (Land Use and Transportation Research and CIVITAS) and the report of the Commission's working group on sustainable urban transport plans.

Any further development or refinement of this preparatory document will be considered as part of the follow-up of the Green Paper consultation on urban mobility.