EUROPEAN CYCLISTS FEDERATION ASBL

Their core work

The European Cyclists' Federation is a Brussels-based advocacy and policy organization representing the interests of cycling across Europe. In H2020 projects, they contribute expertise on active mobility, urban transport planning, and the economic and social value of cycling and walking. Their work focuses on translating cycling advocacy into evidence-based policy tools — cost-benefit frameworks, road-space reallocation strategies, and cargo bike logistics models that cities and transport authorities can act on.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

ECF's early H2020 work (2015–2017) centred on building the economic case for active mobility — measuring the value of travel time, applying happiness economics, and developing cost-benefit frameworks for walking and cycling (FLOW, MoTiV). Their later projects (2018–2022) shifted toward practical urban implementation: road-space reallocation, dynamic signage systems, and cargo bike logistics as a real alternative to motorised urban freight. The trajectory moves clearly from "why cycling matters" toward "how to redesign cities for it."

ECF is moving from advocacy-oriented research toward actionable urban mobility tools — expect future interest in freight decarbonisation, 15-minute city design, and low-traffic neighbourhood implementation.

How they like to work

ECF participates exclusively as a consortium partner, never as coordinator — consistent with their role as a pan-European advocacy body that contributes policy expertise and practitioner networks rather than leading technical research. With 68 unique partners across 23 countries from just 4 projects, they operate in large, diverse consortia. This makes them a well-connected network node: partnering with ECF means access to their extensive European cycling policy community.

ECF has collaborated with 68 distinct partners across 23 countries in just 4 projects, indicating participation in large pan-European consortia. Their Brussels base and federation structure give them reach into national cycling organisations and municipal transport authorities across the continent.

What sets them apart

ECF is the go-to European federation for cycling policy — no other H2020 participant combines pan-European advocacy reach with hands-on project experience in active mobility economics, road-space design, and cyclelogistics. For any consortium needing a credible cycling and walking voice with connections to city-level practitioners across 23+ countries, ECF is a natural fit. Their non-profit status and policy focus make them particularly strong for dissemination, citizen engagement, and policy recommendation work packages.

Highlights from their portfolio

• MoTiV
  Largest ECF grant (EUR 317K) and most methodologically ambitious — combined happiness economics, smartphone-based mobility surveys, and crowdsourced delivery analysis to redefine how we value travel time.
• CityChangerCargoBike
  Directly addresses urban freight decarbonisation through cargo bike adoption — a fast-growing policy area with strong commercial relevance for last-mile logistics companies.
• MORE
  Tackles the politically sensitive question of reallocating road space away from cars, combining new materials, dynamic signing, and multi-modal planning into a practical toolkit for cities.