Mission
Our Mission: Connecting Rural Europe through Mobility
Mobilised in the framework of the SMARTA-NET Project (2022-2024), and established as an ASBL (Association Sans But Lucratif (not-for-profit entity)) under Belgian law in July 2025, the European Rural Mobility Network (ERMN) primary aim is to connect people and ideas for a better mobility future. Its mission is to promote, exchange and disseminate knowledge, good practices and innovative solutions that strenghten transport services in rural areas.
Through workshops, knowledge-sharing, and capacity building activities, ERMN helps municipalities and communities overcome barriers, while empowering them with practical tools and expertise. It also acts as a collective voice, engaging with European and national institutions to advocate for supportive policies, strategies, and funding.
Activities
What We Do
To achieve its mission, the ERMN carries out a range of activities, including:
Promoting sustainable rural mobility: raising awareness about sustainable transport and shared mobility solutions in rural areas through events, campaigns and educational materials (publications, videos, online content)
Enhancing the rural environment: analysing the impact of traditional transport systems on the rural landscape and collaborating with local authorities and transport companies for the implementation of integrated sustainable mobility services that respect the landscape context.
Driving research and innovation: studying European and national policies; identify good practices and test new technologies and solutions for sustainable rural mobility.
Providing advice and support to local communities: assisting rural municipalities in planning, managing and funding mobility projects, helping local actors collaborate effectively
Acting with our values: all our activities are guided by inclusion, collaboration, transparency, gender and generational equality, respect for diversity, and intercultural dialogue.
Background
From SMARTA to ERMN
It all started in 2020 with a simple but powerful idea from the SMARTA project: rural areas needed a place where their voices could be heard, where they could share experiences and work on solutions to common challenges.
From that vision, in 2023 the follow-up project SMARTA-NET started building the European Rural Mobility Network (ERMN) a real community of rural municipalities and organisations from the rural mobility sector.The ERMN has nowbecame a reality and has grown into a living network, laying the foundation for a future where rural mobility is no longer an afterthought, but a central part of Europe’s sustainable development.