SMARTA-NET FINAL CONFERENCE – Shaping the future of Rural Mobility was held on 23-24 October 2024, in Brussels, Belgium

PURPOSE

The SMARTA-NET Project hosted its Final Conference in Brussels (Belgium) to highlight the diversity of rural contexts and explore how mobility and tourism solutions could be developed and implemented according to specific local conditions. The event provided an opportunity to learn about the outcomes of the various SMARTA-NET activities, including guidance elaboration, training, and evaluation analysis. It also focused on urban and rural linkages and on the SMARTA-NET recommendations to enhance SUMPs while considering the requirements and needs of rural areas.

AGENDA

When: was held on 23 – 24 October

Where: Brussels, Belgium

Venue:

  • Day 1: 23 rd October, from 9:00 a.m. to 06:00 p.m. in Les Ateliers des Tanneurs, Rue des Tanneurs 58-62 1000 Brussels.
  • Day 2: 24 th October, from 8:30 a.m. to 01:00 p.m. in Berlaymont – Robert Schuman room, 1 st floor – Rue de la Loi 200, 1000 Brussels, at the European Commission premises.
  • Participants will have the opportunity to meet the day before (i.e., on the 22 nd of October), as the project will organize a welcome drink and aperitif in Brasserie Le Roy d’Espagne, Grand Place 1, 1000 Brussels, at around 19:00.

Day 0: Tuesday, 22nd October

Getting to Brussels & Welcome Drink

19:00

Welcome Drink at Brasserie Le Roy d’Espagne, Grand Place 1, 1000 Brussels.

Day 1: Wednesday, 23rd October

Navigating through SMARTA-NET Findings

Venue: Les Ateliers des Tanneurs, Rue des Tanneurs 58-62 1000 Brussels

08:30 – 09:00

Welcome coffee and registration

09:00 – 10:15

Morning plenary – What the ERMN members gets from SMARTA-NET

10:15 – 10:50

Lighthouse sites Posters Session and Coffee break

10:50 – 13:15

5 tables in World Café style

  1. Building up DRT as a significant mode and connections between “backbone PT” and local mobility
    Moderated by MemEx
  2. Mobility hubs – more than just a transfer point
    Moderated by PANTEIA
  3. Shared/public bicycle schemes – tourism and leisure
    Moderated by NIT
  4. Cycling as a mode in rural areas
    Moderated by E40
  5. Planning packages of measures
    Moderated by TIS

Findings from the tables
Tables rapporteurs

13:15 – 14:00

Lunch break

15:30 – 15:50

Coffee Break

15:50 – 17:45

Afternoon plenary- Reaching Conclusions

Findings from the workshops

Panel session: Driving Change: Policy Actions for sustainable, inclusive, and low-carbon Rural Mobility

Moderator: Brendan Finn, MemEx

Panelists:

  • Katerina Litou, Municipality of Platanias, Greece
  • Miguel Calado, Intermunicipal Community of Litoral Alentejo, Portugal
  • Miro Kristan, Soča Valley Development Centre, Regional development agency for the Goriška region, Slovenia
  • Hana Rihovsky, Transport, and tourism policy adviser, Greens/EFA group, TRAN Committee, European Parliament


Future of the ERMN

Andrea Lorenzini, MemEx

Final Conference Day 2: Key messages, logistics information
Brendan Finn, Elena Bargagna, MemEx

17:45

Conclusion of Day 1

19:30

Dinner at La Taverne du Passage (Galerie de la Reine 30, 1000 Bruxelles)

Day 2: Thursday, 24th October

Building recommendations for Rural mobility 2.0

Venue: Berlaymont – Robert Schuman Room – Rue de la Loi, 200, 1049, Brussels

08:30 – 09:30

Welcome and registration

09:30 – 10:00

Welcome note
Brendan Finn, MemEx

Keynote address from DG-MOVE
Eddy Liégeois, Acting Director, investment, innovative and sustainable transport, DG MOVE

SMARTA-NET key achievements, including European Rural Mobility Network (ERMN) events, Guidance, and trainings
Andrea Lorenzini, MemEx

What key messages did rural municipalities of the ERMN agree yesterday?
Edina Ocsko, E40

10:00 – 11:15

First Thematic session: Urban-Rural Linkages

Rural access challenges and solutions

Including rural aspects in Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans

Incorporating rural aspects within Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs)
André Freitas, TIS

Reflections on Functional Urban-Rural transport planning

Moderated Q&A

Panel Discussion on Rural Accessibility

Accessibility issues in rural areas, public transport deficits and transport poverty, what it is, the need to baseline (and measure) it and how it could influence policy choices.

Moderator: Edina Ocsko, E40

Panelists:

  • Helen McHenry, Western Development Commission, Ireland
  • Pascale Van Doren, Rural Pact Support Office, Belgium
  • Ute Wein, Policy Officer, DG MOVE
  • Filip Boelaert, Secretary General Department Mobility and Public Works, Flemish Government (Speaker absent due to unforeseen circumstances)

11:15 – 11:45

Coffee Break

11:45 – 12:30

Second Thematic session: Advancing Rural Mobiity

Mobility in support of sustainable tourism in rural areas

Establishing the ERMN and where does it go from here?

Overview and profile of the ERMN – purpose, activities, participants, training, concepts for future
Andrea Lorenzini, MemEx

Discussion on possible way forward with ERMN members
Carmelo Rivero, Barcelona Provincial Council, Spain
Declan Turnbull, Mayo County Council, Ireland
Adéla Pixová, LAG Sdružení Růže, Czechia

Moderated contributions from floor and online audience

12:30 – 13:00

Closing session: Towards rural mobility 2.0

(Policy) Recommendations from the SMARTA-NET Evaluation
Geert Koops, Panteia

Key messages from SMARTA-NET about goals, scale, funding, etc.
Brendan Finn, MemEx

Conclusions and closing: A couple of take aways
Isabelle Vandoorne, Deputy Head of Unit Innovation and research, DG MOVE – Rafał Stanecki, Policy officer, DG MOVE

13:00 – 14:00

Lunch at venue

14:00+

Participants depart for home/onward travel

VIDEOS

Final Conference Video (Long)

Final Conference Video (Short )

PHOTO GALLERY

DAY 1

DAY 2