Revision of the Combined Transport Directive

Council Directive 92/106/EEC (the 'Combined Transport Directive') is one of the key EU legal instruments aimed at promoting the shift of freight from road to lower-emission transport modes. It supports the uptake of transport operations that combine road – on one or both ends of a journey – with rail or waterways, by providing advantages such as exemptions from restrictions (on weights and dimensions of vehicles or circulation) and tax reductions. The directive contributed to the development of the combined transport market in the EU. However, the uneven playing field for intermodal freight transport compared to road transport persists. As highlighted in the 2016 European Commission evaluation and the 2023 European Court of Auditors' special report, there is a significant margin to improve the directive's effectiveness. Some of its provisions are outdated, its scope is limited and its language is sometimes obsolete and ambiguous. In addition, the significant variation in Member States' transposition of the directive's provisions leads to uncertainty for combined transport operators. On 7 November 2023, the Commission published a proposal to amend Council Directive 92/106/EEC. This is the third attempt to revise the directive. During the last attempt, the Council tried to limit road cabotage advantages (and linked abuses) afforded to combined transport operators. This was in opposition to the Commission's 2017 proposal and to the Parliament's first reading stance. The Commission withdrew that proposal in 2020.