European Certification Standard

Contents

What is ECS?

• A unique and comprehensive methodology designed to assess the quality of EuroVelo and other cycle routes, based on a physical survey by bicycle, using the ECS app, and focused on the user’s perspective.
• ECS is a clear methodology, easy to adapt to the specific needs of the organisation coordinating the survey (either focusing on certain aspects of the cycle route such as the location of signs, the level of traffic, etc., or doing a more general assessment of the route's conditions).
• A flexible tool, applicable at European scale, fitting different contexts and levels of development:
  • ECS as a planning tool – minimum requirements to develop a quality cycle route
  • ECS as an assessment tool – evaluating the quality of existing cycle routes and planning improvements
  • ECS as a communication tool – confirming the high quality of a EuroVelo route through the EuroVelo Certification label, based on ECS methodology

See the ECS leaflet for a general introduction to the methodology, and consult the Introduction to the methodology manual for an overview of ECS quality criteria.

📅 To learn more on ECS, join our upcoming and free webinar: "Cycle route quality through field surveys: Practical examples using the European Certification Standard".

💡On Wednesday 25 November, this short webinar will discuss how field surveys are important for the development of quality cycle routes. We will present examples of the application of the European Certification Standard (ECS), the European Cyclists'​ Federation methodology to assess the quality of cycle routes with a user-centric approach.

➡️ Register at this link

Main objectives of ECS

• Improving the quality of all cycle routes
  • Collection of detailed GIS database of route parameters
  • Critical issues identified
  • Flexibility to focus on different user groups
  • Motivation for decision makers to invest in solutions
  • Findings summarised in Route Evaluation Report & Action Plana

• Providing a quality label for EuroVelo route sections
  • EuroVelo Certification: available for EuroVelo sections of min. 100 km
  • Promotion tool
  • Good incentive for cycle tourists

Who can use ECS?

Surveying of the route is performed with the ECS app, which requires the purchase of a three-year license directly from ECF.

A wide variety of stakeholders can purchase an ECS license and organise ECS surveys:

• National EuroVelo Coordination Centres
• Cycle route managers (of EuroVelo or other cycle routes)
• Infrastructure authorities (Ministries, regional development agencies, etc)
• EU funded projects managers
• Cycling associations

For more information regarding the license, please contact [email protected].

Only certified EuroVelo Route Inspectors are entitled to apply the ECS methodology, i.e. they can survey cycle routes with the ECS app, access survey data and use it to produce visualisations, charts, Route Evaluation Reports, Action Plans, etc.

Every year, ECF organises a EuroVelo Route Inspectors Training session in Brussels. As of 2026, more than 300 persons from 32 different countries have been trained with the methodology and became official EuroVelo Route Inspectors. There are currently 230 inspectors with a valid certificate. Visit the dedicated page to find out more on latest training session dates, training content and inspectors experience.

Are you looking to hire EuroVelo Route Inspectors for an ECS survey? The list of up-to-date EuroVelo Route Inspectors who can be contacted for survey work is available here.

N.B.: Only those Official Route Inspectors who have requested to be displayed on www.pro.eurovelo.com are available here. If you want to update this information, to be added or removed, please contact [email protected].

Please subscribe to the EuroVelo Newsletter to be informed of upcoming ECS news and developments. If you have specific questions, please send an email to [email protected].

History of ECS

The first version of ECS was created in 2014, more than ten years ago! The current version of the methodology was released in 2020-2021 using the ECS app allowing for the recording of detailed GIS data. 2024 was a record-year for ECS with surveys being conducted in 11 countries, and two (re)Certification processes of EuroVelo 1 - Atlantic Coast Route in France and EuroVelo 15 - Rhine Cycle Route. A new update of the methodology was introduced in April 2026, aiming to make it clearer and easier to apply, particularly in relation to EuroVelo Certification.

ECS was developed at European scale, with the objective to facilitate the comparison of the route's quality with other countries and regions, and providing a high potential reach for European users.

ECS app

EuroVelo Route Inspectors use an app specifically designed to evaluate long-distance cycle routes: the European Certification Standard app. With the ECS application, data can be collected offline in the field, using an Android device with a functioning GPS system.

The ECS application for surveying the route has been newly updated from 2019 to 2021 in collaboration with Cartographia. It is a tool to improve the collection of data, which is uploaded from the field with the app and can then be analysed on the desktop. This app has been designed for Android devices only.

EuroVelo Route Inspectors receive the link to download this app when taking the Route Inspectors Training.

What results can you get from using ECS?

• Detailed GIS data about a cycle route (useful for quality communications).
• Identification of improvement needs and an action plan with investment priorities.
• Required for EuroVelo Certification label.

ECS in the route development process

The European Certification Standard can be used in different stages of the route development:

• Planning of the route: Identify a viable corridor with a strong theme
• Route survey: Identify strong and weak points of the route
• Action plan: Plan and prioritise actions to ensure consistent quality
• Certification: Verify the results of implemented actions
• Certified route: Periodically check the quality of the product

In case several route variants are being surveyed in the process of identifying a viable corridor for a EuroVelo route, the ECF preference generally goes for the more direct routes, unless there are strong reasons to choose otherwise (e.g. too much elevation change, traffic or bad surface quality on the most direct corridor). More information is available in the Handbook for Route Inspectors.

Resources

For a quick introduction to ECS core principles and the list of criteria, see the below "Introduction to the methodology" document.

For a summary of the main aspects of ECS, download the promotional ECS leaflet and feel free to circulate it among stakeholders who might be interested in this methodology.

A thorough explanation of the ECS categories and criteria used for assessing cycle routes is available in the European Certification Standard Handbook for Route Inspectors, last updated in April 2026. This longer technical manual is shared exclusively with certified EuroVelo Route Inspectors and partners managing ECS licenses or overviewing ECS surveys or EuroVelo Certification process. Please get in touch with the EuroVelo team via [email protected] if you would like to request more information.