European Cyclists’ Federation re-elects president and welcomes new and returning board members

BRUSSELS – The European Cyclists’ Federation’s (ECF) members have re-elected Henk Swarttouw as President at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 19-20 April 2024 in Zagreb, hosted by ECF’s member Sindikat Biciklista.

Henk Swarttouw, a passionate cycling advocate and former career diplomat, was re-elected with overwhelming support for a second term on 20 April. Expressing his gratitude, Henk Swarttouw stated, “I am honoured to have been re-elected as President of the European Cyclists’ Federation for a second term. I want to thank our members for their continuing trust and confidence. The next three years will be full of opportunities, following the recent adoption of the European Declaration on Cycling and will provide ample chances to seize the moment for the cause of cycling. I look forward to working with our members and other stakeholders to strengthen our work for better cycling for all in Europe and beyond.”

Henk Swarttouw’s first term as president saw some of ECF’s milestone accomplishments, such as the development of ECF’s 2020-30 Strategy and the adoption of the European Declaration on Cycling.

At the AGM, ECF’s members also elected and re-elected the following board members:

Bringing a wealth of expertise in strategic bicycle and mobility planning at different administrative levels, Sidsel Birk Hjuler was re-elected for a second term. She is Strategic Mobility Consultant and COO at Urban Creators. She previously worked as Head of Office for the Cycle Superhighways in the Copenhagen capital region. In her second term as board member, she aims to further amplify ECF’s influence in the realm of planning and research, and strengthen ECF’s role as the global voice for cycling.
Sir Graham Watson, a former MEP and lifelong cyclist, was re-elected for a second term. His career has revolved around politics at the local, national, and supranational levels. He aims to contribute to the strategic leadership of ECF and bring his knowledge of how public policy is formulated at the EU level to its service. Graham Watson is also the president of the World Cycling Alliance.
With over 20 years of experience in sustainable mobility and transforming public spaces, Silvia Casorran was elected to a first term as board member. She is the Secretary General of Red de Ciudades y Territorios por la Bicicleta, a Cycling Cities Network in Spain, and a Sustainable Mobility Expert at the Barcelona Metropolitan Area. She also served as Mobility Councillor for the Sant Martí District from 2019-2023 and as Deputy to the Chief Architect in Barcelona. As a board member, she aims to leverage her expertise to advocate for more cycling in Europe.

These elected and re-elected board members join Angela Francke, Jan Vermeulen, Camille Thomé, and Francesco Baroncini on the board. ECF and its members would like to thank the retiring Board member, Judit Tóth, for her work on the ECF board over the last three years.

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