Source: VUB Mobilise

The Brussels Capital Region has developed a policy to phase out fossil-fuel-based vehicles, with a gradual phase-out set to lead to a total ban by 2035. EU-funded project TANDEM aims to include a diverse group of citizens in the discussion around the ban to ensure that the transition to electric mobility is inclusive, equitable and just.

TANDEM seeks to develop recommendations to guide the transition away from fossil-fuelled vehicles, to ensure that the process is well-managed and just, from the perspective of a diverse group of Brussels Capital Region citizens, and will consider the needs of both current and future generations.

The citizen panel will be comprised of approximately 40 participants, randomly selected and with criteria applied to ensure the group’s diversity:

• age and gender
• language
• education and income
• mobility behaviour and needs (employment, family composition, general health)
• the municipality of residence
• nationality

The citizen panel will involve three one-day sessions across a year in which participants will discuss the ban of fossil-fuel vehicles in Brussels. Selected participants will be compensated with services/products or vouchers worth up to €60 for each session, plus meals and refreshments provided during each session.

TANDEM states that: “For this process to be successful, it is important that people with different perspectives answer the survey, so each response is important.”

Find more information about the citizens’ debate and the affiliated project on the TANDEM website, and view the English language survey here.