Politicians Exchange Forum
Interested in joining the next PEF meeting?
The next Politicians Exchange Forum (PEF) will take place in Thessaloniki, Greece, during the CIVITAS Forum 2026, on 15 September 2026. To be held at the Thessaloniki Town Hall, this high-level gathering offers political leaders from the local and regional level a dedicated space for dialogue with European Commission representatives, mobility innovators and representatives from CIVITAS cities. The meeting will focus on the topic of The 2026 EU Sustainable Tourism Strategy: Mobility and Tourism at a Crossroads — in line with this year’s overarching theme for the CIVITAS Forum 2026: Roots and Routes: Moving Forward to Competitive, Connected and Resilient Urban Mobility.
Alongside the political discussions, the PEF meeting will also feature a guided tour of the archaeological areas of the local Venizelou and Agias Sofias metro stations.
To register for the Politicians Exchange Forum in Thessaloniki, please fill in the form on this link, by 1 September 2026 at the latest.
Inspiring dialogue about urban mobility policy in Europe
The Politicians Exchange Forum (PEF), established as part of the CIVITAS Initiative, serves as a robust and open platform for local politicians from the City Network to actively engage, collaborate, and exchange knowledge in the realm of sustainable urban mobility. In addition, the PEF offers an opportunity for local politicians to participate in dialogue and idea-sharing with high-level representatives of the European Commission (EC) and stakeholders from the sector on various urban mobility aspects.
The PEF convenes twice per year: once in Spring, jointly with the CIVINET Forum, and once in the Autumn during the CIVITAS Forum Conference or the Urban Mobility Days.
The PEF has the following main roles and objectives:
- Facilitate engagement and exchange between local politicians, representatives of the European Commission and key stakeholders focused on sustainable urban mobility topics within the ten Thematic Areas of the CIVITAS Initiative.
- Ensure the integration of political insights and city-specific needs into CIVITAS. This enables tailored and context-specific solutions for sustainable urban mobility.
- Foster networking, peer-learning, and exchange of best practices among local politicians working on sustainable urban mobility.
- Promote diverse participation of politicians from the CIVITAS Member Cities to enrich discussions and perspectives.
- Foster collaboration with CIVITAS National Networks (CIVINETs), CIVITAS clusters/projects, and stakeholders to address urban mobility challenges holistically.
Image by Adam Oliver / ICLEI Europe
Insights from PEF representatives
“Mobility represents 13% of GHG emissions in the city, but they are the hardest to reduce since it affects people daily life.” - Anna Lisa Boni, Bologna Deputy Mayor for European Funds, Ecological Transition, and International Relations
“We used to invest a lot in the past in various services, like electricity and the railway network. Then we spent half of a century investing in roads. Now, proximity is our main driver when it comes to urban mobility. We promote walking first, then cycling.” - Lot van Hooijdonk, Utrecht Deputy Mayor for Mobility
“Cycling also generates savings in socio-economic costs, which translate into more purchasing power for people in the end”. - Gianluca Borghi, Parma Deputy Mayor for Environmental Sustainability, Energy and Mobility
Contacts
Vanessa Holve
ICLEI Europe
Arianna Americo
EUROCITIES
pef [at] civitas [dot] eu
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