EIB renews partnership with the International Association of Public Transport to enhance support for sustainable, innovative and affordable urban mobility

This article is published in association with European Investment Bank.

• Partnership will focus on innovative public transport to improve urban mobility, strengthen our competitiveness and resilience, and support decarbonisation.
• The EIB-UITP agreement facilitates better engagement, knowledge sharing and best practices.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) announces the renewal of its agreement with UITP, the International Association of Public Transport, reflecting a shared commitment to undertake decarbonisation, strengthen the European economy, and enable the digital transformation in the transport sector.

“Improving urban mobility is an integral part of the solution to many of the challenges we face in Europe. These investments bolster our economic competitiveness and resilience, whilst supporting the goals of our recently launched Climate Bank Roadmap 2.0. Renewing this collaboration with UITP allows us to strengthen our cooperation in this important area, supporting our work on more innovative public transport.” stated EIB Vice President Robert de Groot.

The renewed partnership with UITP enables the collaboration on innovative strategies and the sharing of expertise in sustainable and urban mobility, ensuring that combined efforts will contribute to achieving shared European goals.  

“Renewing our partnership comes at a pivotal moment for Europe’s urban mobility. As cities work to decarbonise, strengthen their competitiveness and embrace digital transformation, public transport must lead the way. By combining UITP’s global network and knowledge with the EIB’s financial and advisory expertise, we can accelerate innovative, sustainable and affordable mobility solutions that make our systems more resilient and future-proof. This renewed agreement enhances our collaboration and deepens our exchanges, ensuring our members have the tools and support they need to shape smarter and more inclusive cities.” added Mohamed Mezghani, UITP Secretary General.

Both organisations will continue to work closely to engage with stakeholders and promote best practices in public transport, ultimately modernising urban mobility across Europe.

EIB support to Sustainable Transport:

The EIB has steadily increased its financing for environmental sustainability, with 60% of its financing dedicated to this objective. Transport investments are a key part of this portfolio. Last year alone, the EIB invested approximately €8 billion for lower carbon transport projects. In October 2025, the EIB announced the second phase of its Climate Bank Roadmap. With this strategy, the Bank aims to mobilise over €1 trillion in climate investments by 2030, increasing its investments in electric and hydrogen buses, autonomous mobility solutions, and low carbon urban transport.

Background information

The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, it finances investments that pursue EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union, and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world.

The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund, signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.

Around half of EIB financing in the European Union goes to cohesion regions, where per capita income is below the EU average, while almost 60% of annual EIB Group investments support climate action and environmental sustainability. 

UITP, the International Association of Public Transport works to enhance quality of life and economic well-being by supporting and promoting sustainable transport in urban areas worldwide. As a passionate champion of sustainable urban mobility, UITP is internationally recognised for its work to advance the development of this critical policy agenda. With more than 2000 members in 100 countries, UITP has a long history to its name, and is the only worldwide network to bring together all public transport stakeholders and all sustainable transport modes.