The European Mobility Week 2020 in Serbia started with a solemn event held in Kruševac, a city that won the award of the European Award for Sustainable Mobility for 2019.
The Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia, Ambassador Sem Fabrizi, presented the award to Mayor Jasmina Palurović on behalf of European Commissioner Adina Ionna Valean.
“Thank you for the invitation to visit your beautiful city of Krusevac, it is a real pleasure to be here with you today despite the challenging times due to the COVID 19 pandemic. Today we are here in Krusevac, to invite all cities to participate in the European Mobility Week. It is a great event, which is being celebrated all over Europe, all over Serbia. “From September 16 to 22, in 49 European countries, in more than 2,600 cities, the same thing is happening as in Krusevac,” said Ambassador Fabrizi.
“In Krusevac and 26 other cities in local communities across the country, people participate in various activities such as walking, running, cycling, riding electric scooters and driving electric cars. The European Union has launched a revolutionary idea – the Green Deal – which strives to make the entire continent neutral, when it comes to carbon emissions, by 2050, i.e. in the next 30 years,” the ambassador added.
Fabrizi emphasized that this year’s European Mobility Week has the motto “Mobility for all without harmful gases”, and has three messages. The first message is that it is necessary to reduce air pollution, the second message refers to the connection between movement and human health, and the third element is public space, which belongs to citizens, not cars, Ambassador said.
On Saturday, September 19, the day without cars will be marked in Belgrade, announced the head of the EU Delegation to Serbia.
Activities in Serbia within this campaign are coordinated by the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities and the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure. The Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of Serbia, Zorana Mihajlović, participated in the opening of the European Mobility Week in Kruševac, together with Ambassador Fabricio.
“Thank you for being here today because we will send a message, which must be strong and clear, to all citizens of Serbia, but of course also to our friends from the European Union, and to all those who today show how vital this mobility week is. – for all EU member states, but also for us who want to harmonize with all the standards of the European Union, because that is good for us, for our development and our future “, said Mihajlović.
She pointed out the positive example of Krusevac, but also invited other cities to participate in mobility, not only during the celebration of the European Week but throughout the year.
“I think that the countries of the European Union are the ones that set specific standards of the best, then we have to be even better and faster because that is good for our environment and our society. That is why I will do my best to be much more active in this field in the coming period. Why am I saying this? Because the biggest challenge in the world is precisely the protection of the environment “, added Minister Mihajlović.
From next year, the Ministry will award a prize worth one million dinars, which will be an incentive for local self-governments, to deal more with urban mobility, the Minister announced.
Walking, cycling or rollerblading, using public transport – are some of the ways to avoid the use of cars, and thus the production of harmful gases. And that precisely is the motto of this year’s European Mobility Week – “Move, just not by car!”
Mobility Week is celebrated from today, September 16, and will last until 10 pm, and during that period, you can participate in the challenge by downloading the Endomondo application to your phone. Participants who burn the most calories by walking, cycling or rollerblading will win valuable prizes. You can read more about the challenge here.
What is European Mobility Week?
The European Mobility Week campaign was held for the first time in 2002 and aimed to improve public health and quality of life by promoting clean mobility and sustainable urban transport. The campaign allows people to explore the role of city streets and experiment with practical solutions to urban challenges, such as air pollution.
Mobility Week also provides a perfect opportunity to introduce alternatives to sustainable mobility to local people and to clarify the challenges that cities face. By participating, cities can demonstrate the benefits of cleaner transport choices and make progress towards better mobility in Europe.
This year’s theme – mobility for all without harmful gases – reflects the European Commission’s ambitious goal of making Europe a carbon-neutral continent by 2050 – emitting as much carbon dioxide as nature can absorb, thus eliminating one of the main factors of climate change.
European Mobility Week 2020 emphasizes the importance of affordable transport and promotes an inclusive, inclusive framework. Therefore, this campaign encourages people and local authorities to take steps to achieve the long-term goal of a carbon-neutral continent.