2 October 2023: During the informal meeting of EU ministers of Transport held in Barcelona under the Spanish Presidency on 22 September, ministers signed the Barcelona Declaration. The document is entitled ‘Mobility for people: promoting social and territorial cohesion’ and promotes social and territorial cohesion in Europe through transport, while mitigating inequalities (see document in downloads section at the top right of this page).

The Declaration acknowledge that all modes of transport play a pivotal role in facilitating territorial and social cohesion and Europe’s internal and external connectivity. Public administrations must promote an integrated transport and mobility network that ensures accessibility across the entire territory. To this end, it is necessary to adapt mobility solutions to the specific characteristics of each context, always with the participation of its inhabitants in the design and implementation of new policies.

The Declaration also addresses transport safety and discusses the role of women in the sector by stressing the importance of incorporating a gender and equality perspective into the design of transport and mobility policies.

The EU Transport Ministers call upon the Commission to propose a ‘non-paper’ that outlines strategies for leveraging transport and mobility to enhance social and territorial cohesion. This document should encompass several aspects, such as addressing the challenges faced by urban nodes and rural, insular, peripheral and mountainous regions, as well as sparsely populated areas.