Source: European Parliament
Transport poverty is indeed a serious problem in many rural areas. In its Recommendation on transport poverty[1], the Commission puts forward different policy measures to Member States that should, if implemented, contribute to mitigating transport poverty in rural areas.
The Commission shares the view that improvement in transport services can further benefit the economic development of rural and structurally weak regions.
The Commission’s long-term vision for Europe’s rural areas[2] calls on Member States and regions to develop sustainable rural mobility strategies, with the overall objective of creating ‘stronger, connected, resilient and prosperous rural areas by 2040’.
Preventing and mitigating transport poverty is also one of the priorities in the development of the European transport network, and for EU support instruments such as Cohesion policy funds including Interreg, Recovery and Resilience Facility, and the Social Climate Fund, to ensure seamless mobility and accessibility for all users.