The association of European Metropolitan Transport Authorities (EMTA) was founded in 1998 so as to form a venue for exchange of information and best practices between the authorities responsible for public transport in the European metropolitan areas.
Five years later, it already brings together 28 such authorities in charge of planning, coordinating and funding public transport systems used by more than 70 million European citizens.
The association is widely regarded as an official representative organisation and works in close co-operation with the European Union, the European Conference of Ministers of Transport, UITP, and many others to promote public transportation and to ensure that the objectives of transport authorities are really taken into account by supra-national decision makers.