Our goal

This project group wants trail management in Europe to have stable and reliable funding. We research and evaluate all existing financing models, develop new ones and test them in pilot projects.

Why this matters

Insufficient funding and the over-reliance on volunteer work are the biggest structural problems of trail management in Europe. Many trail organizations live from one short-term project grant to the next. Regular maintenance, which is what keeps a trail open and safe, is rarely part of any stable budget.

At the same time, many people and businesses benefit from trails without contributing to them. Guesthouses, restaurants, outdoor brands and destinations profit from well-maintained trails, and many trail users would be willing to give something back if it were easy to do. These sources are largely unused.

Why now

The EU budget for 2028 to 2034 is currently being negotiated. The European Commission has proposed bundling a large part of the funding into national and regional partnership plans. What is not named in these plans will hardly be funded in the coming years. Trail organizations need to bring their funding needs into these discussions now, with concrete models and figures.

The European Trails Policy Paper calls for dedicated EU funding for trail infrastructure and maintenance. This project group develops the financing models behind that demand.