The European Bus System of the Future (EBSF) project is conceived as a driver to increase the attractiveness and raise the image of the bus systems in urban areas, by means of new technologies on vehicles and infrastructure in combination with operational best practices, in a system approach. For the first time in European research, these concepts are fully endorsed by all stakeholders, with all major bus manufacturers joining their industrial capabilities along with operators and authorities pooling together in this pre-competitive research project. This project is funded on the consideration that the bus still remains the most universal solution for balanced and sustainable urban development from an economic, environmental and social standpoint, serving 80% of the total European Public Transport. The research will conceive and develop an innovative high quality bus system which will demonstrate the full potential of a new generation of urban bus networks, using state of the art clean vehicular technologies. It will integrate all necessary elements and include a breakthrough design of vehicles, infrastructures and operations placing emphasis on system approach, and identifying the potential for technical harmonisation and standardisation. The project focuses on the bus system in urban and suburban areas. For this reason all the features of the traditional bus services will be examined and developed in conjunction with the relationships between itself and the other modes of transport, in order to concentrate the objectives of the project on the development and improvement of all the characteristics of the EU Bus System of the Future. During its 48 months lifetime, the project will produce several outputs of two main families: Practical and Theoretical deliverables. The former include the results of activities aiming at technology development, and their integration, whereas the latter include concepts, tools, simulations, specifications, and recommendations.