The Greening Freight Package remains a significant initiative for the European Union. One of its pillars, the Combined Transport Directive, is however once again in the spotlight with the Community of European Railway & Infrastructure Companies (CER) urging Member States to maintain an ambitious approach.
Moreover, rail-road association UIRR underlined the implementation of the Combined Transport Directive as one of the highest expected priorities for the next five years. This Directive was not the only one highlighted as a priority by UIRR, who is asking for a prompt implementation of the Capacity Management Regulation as well.
On the other hand, European institutions seem to struggle to find a definition of combined transport that satisfies all parties involved. “Despite ongoing negotiations (…) in the Council, the Hungarian Presidency has reached an impasse”, CER said. This ‘stalemate’, as the association put it, is especially affecting the opportunity of reducing combined transport costs and implementing the Electronic Freight Transport Information system (eFTI).
Another argument brought forward by CER is that the Combined Transport Directive and the Weights and Dimensions Directive are somewhat countering each other. The former “provides an instrument that encourages support” the latter “sets in place immediate EU-wide incentives that enhance the competitiveness of road transport”, CER lamented.