Commission proposal on combining transport modes for sustainable freight

Yesterday, the European Commission unveiled a new proposal on combining transport modes for more sustainable freight!

A key component of the Greening Freight Transport Package, the proposal updates the current Combined Transport Directive, whose last revision dates to 1992. The Directive has been a key EU legal instrument aimed at reducing the negative externalities of freight transport, including GHG emissions, congestion, noise, and accidents, by supporting a shift from long-distance road transport to rail, inland waterways, and maritime transport.

Reiterating the applicability of existing EU regulatory measures for combined transport, the proposal includes provisions to:

  • Refocus support on operations that reduce negative externalities by at least 40% compared to road-only operations between the same starting and ending points
  • Introduce an EU-wide exemption from temporary driving bans for the short road legs of combined transport, ensuring better use of terminal and non-road infrastructure capacity
  • Set a competitiveness target for Member States to reduce by at least 10% the average door-to-door cost of combined transport operations within 7 years
  • Oblige Member States to adopt national policy frameworks to facilitate the uptake of intermodal transport
  • Create a transparency requirement for both intermodal transhipment terminals and national governments to ensure better customer access to information on the availability of services and facilities as well as national support measures


ScanMed RFC welcomes yesterday’s announcement as yet another sign – together with the newly proposed Rail Capacity Regulation and the soon-to-be-implemented TEN-T Regulation – demonstrating the importance of rail freight for our continent’s prosperity and security. Even though road transport will continue to play a key role in the freight sector, it is only by combining it with other, more sustainable transport modes, that we will be able to achieve green and efficient mobility in Europe.

For more information about the proposal, please click here.