European cities and automobile manufacturers kick off dialogue on urban vehicle access regulations

Brussels, 5 December 2017 – Today representatives from European cities and automobile manufacturers came together for the first time in order to explore solutions to the challenges of increasing urban road traffic.

The main purpose of this workshop, which gathered more than 70 stakeholders involved in urban mobility, was to exchange views, experiences and different perspectives on urban vehicle access regulations (UVARs), which are becoming more widespread throughout the EU. As well as cities and auto manufacturers, representatives of regions, research organisations, transport operators, motorists, shippers and retailers were present.

Discussions focused on the local societal challenges and policy drivers behind urban vehicle access regulations. Also on the agenda was how stakeholders can cooperate on the short-term, for instance through the exchange of best practices or public-private cooperation for local policy making, as well as on the long-term, such as conducting joint research on smart and sustainable mobility technologies.

With regard to the variety of types of UVARs in place across Europe, the stakeholders agreed on the need for more consistency and transparency. Participants called on the European Commission not only to continue funding the European initiative to centralise information on which cities apply access regulations (www.urbanaccessregulations.eu), but to provide a comprehensive analysis of these measures (what characteristics they have, which vehicles are covered by them, and so on).

Today’s workshop paves the way for ongoing direct and constructive dialogue between all parties who have a stake in access regulation measures. It was jointly organised by Polis, the network of cities and regions on transport innovation, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), the European Council for Automotive R&D (EUCAR) and the European Road Transport Research Advisory Council (ERTRAC).


About ACEA

  • The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) represents the 14 major Europe-based car, van, truck and bus makers: BMW Group, DAF Trucks, Daimler Truck, Ferrari, Ford of Europe, Honda Motor Europe, Hyundai Motor Europe, Iveco Group, JLR, Mercedes-Benz, Renault Group, Toyota Motor Europe, Volkswagen Group, and Volvo Group.
  • Visit www.acea.auto for more information about ACEA, and follow us on www.twitter.com/ACEA_auto or www.linkedin.com/company/ACEA/.
  • Contact: Cara McLaughlin, Communications Director, cm@acea.auto, +32 485 88 66 47.

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About Polis

  • Polis is the network of cities and regions working together to achieve more sustainable urban mobility. In Polis, decision makers are provided with the necessary information and tools for making sustainable mobility a reality. Within the Polis working groups and in the Polis Political Group – representing local politicians, they formulate recommendations to the European Institutions.
  • More information can be found on www.polisnetwork.eu.
  • For more information, please contact Dagmar Köhler, Polis Communication Manager, dkoehler@polisnetwork.eu.

About the EU automobile industry

  • 13.0 million Europeans work in the automotive sector
  • 11.5% of all manufacturing jobs in the EU
  • €374.6 billion in tax revenue for European governments
  • €101.9 billion trade surplus for the European Union
  • Over 7% of EU GDP generated by the auto industry
  • €59.1 billion in R&D spending annually, 31% of EU total
Content type Press release
Vehicle types All vehicles
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