New Leadership, New Vision: EU's Role in Shaping MobiliseYourCity’s Future

With the European Union stepping in as the new chair of the MobiliseYourCity Partnership, Sergio Oliete Josa, Head of Unit for Sustainable Transport and Urban Development at EU DG INTPA, shares his vision for refreshing the partnership’s priorities. His focus centers on aligning MobiliseYourCity’s mission with the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, reinforcing its role in advancing sustainable urban mobility worldwide.

Question 1: What is the EU’s strategy for the urban transport sector?

The EU’s strategy for the urban transport sector is strongly linked to our broader goals of sustainable development and international partnerships. The Global Gateway, which aims to connect Europe and the world through high-quality sustainable infrastructure, plays a key role here. Urban mobility is crucial because cities act as "urban nodes" in transport corridors, and improving mobility at this level ensures the overall efficiency of the corridors.
The Global Gateway strategy is an offer built on values  such as good governance, transparency, green and clean delivery, high quality standards ensuring that urban mobility systems are not only efficient but inclusive, benefitting vulnerable communities. We also aim to better coordinate investment strategies among likeminded partners and in particular Team Europe members but also the European private sector for bigger impacts. 

Question 2: What has been achieved through the partnership between the EU and MobiliseYourCity so far?

The partnership between the EU and MobiliseYourCity has seen significant achievements, particularly in advancing Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) and National Urban Mobility Policies (NUMPs). Cities like Santo Domingo or Yaoundé will benefit from improved public transport systems: not only metro line extensions or Bus Rapid Transit, but also the feeder systems and clearer mobility strategic vision, thanks to the support mobilized through this partnership.
Additionally, the partnership has created valuable knowledge-sharing platforms, allowing us to disseminate European urban mobility solutions globally. MobiliseYourCity has facilitated dialogue between public authorities, the private sector, and other stakeholders, fostering cooperation that ensures the long-term success of these projects. The EU’s financial commitment, which includes an additional €6 million to support this work, has been instrumental in scaling up these achievements.

Question 3: What are the EU's priorities as the new chair of MobiliseYourCity for the next two years?

As chair, the EU is focusing on two priorities:

1. Strengthening MobiliseYourCity’s strategic role as a global platform for sustainable urban mobility solutions. Without restricting ourselves to cities on the transport corridors, our goal is to deepen the connection between the partnership and the Global Gateway strategy by positioning MobiliseYourCity as a central instrument for delivering sustainable urban mobility globally. By strengthening the European dimension (be it by better linkages with initiatives or good practices or by involving the European private sector) and adopting a Team Europe approach, we aim to make MobiliseYourCity the primary platform for promoting the European urban mobility offer worldwide.
    
2. Advancing implementation support, a crucial service area introduced in 2020. We are committed to ensuring this area receives the necessary attention and resources to bring SUMPs to implementation, including in fields such as paratransit modernisation, governance, and active transport modes. This will enable cities to implement greener, inclusive, effective, forward-thinking mobility solutions.

In essence, we aim to create a unified European narrative on urban mobility, consolidating best practices and solutions into a cohesive strategy that can serve as inspiration globally.