European Mobility Atlas 2021

The European Mobility Atlas 2021 analyses the key facts and figures about transport and mobility in Europe, contributing to the efforts towards sustainable and just mobility in the European Union. The main takeaways from the Atlas are summarised in these 12 brief lessons.

It took until the late 1980s to make transport part of EU policy. Since then, steps have been taken towards a more ambitious transport policy. Reluctance in EU Member States to enforce the rules keeps being the biggest obstacle.

Liberalisation and social harmonisation have barely gone hand in hand in the transport sector. Some EU rules exist, but without proper enforcement, the current employment situation is often unsatisfactory.

Suddenly, the skies were blue. The Covid-19 lockdown grounded the majority of flights, and analysts say that it could take years for aviation to get back to normal.

For more than 100 years, the automotive industry has relied on cars with internal combustion engines. Today, transformation is irrevocable. The Covid-19 pandemic makes it a truly Herculean task.

European transport infrastructure reflects the complexity of Europe’s cross-border management tasks and its historic path dependency. Railway infrastructure is a prominent example of this.

A well-connected cross-border railway system is the backbone of European transnational mobility. Yet many cross-border points still look like a patchwork reflecting myriad different national systems.

Maritime transport is the most important, most efficient, but also dirtiest way of shipping goods. Not covered by the Paris Agreement, the industry is trying to set guidelines for a more environment-friendly maritime transport.

Tourism is a major economic sector in Europe. But its negative impacts on the environment and local communities raise concerns. Sustainable travel is growing, yet Covid-19 could change everything.

Unlike many industries, the manufacture of bicycles keeps on growing. This is mainly driven by the sale of e-bikes. The ever-increasing demand for them seems to be helping the industry to recover rapidly from the impact of Covid-19.