Brussels plans to withdraw the amendment to the Combined Transport Directive (CTD), according to the European Commission’s 2026 work programme. The reform had been introduced in November 2023 as part of the Greening Freight Transport package, but will now be abandoned before parliamentary negotiations could begin.
UIRR, representing the European Combined Transport sector, strongly criticised the move, noting that it comes without any public consultation, despite the European Parliament having just completed a study for the forthcoming legislative process. Both the Belgian and Hungarian Council Presidencies had been working on the file, and Member States were waiting for the Parliament’s input.
The withdrawal also appears at odds with broader EU targets to shift freight from road to rail and inland waterways, as outlined in the European Green Deal and the TEN-T Regulation. Without a modernised framework for Combined Transport, industry stakeholders fear slower progress toward these modal shift goals.
UIRR argues that Combined Transport is 'the prime solution' to integrate rail and inland waterways into European supply chains, but warns that the sector is struggling with infrastructure bottlenecks, terminal shortages and a lack of digitalisation. The organisation says that, while CTD reform alone would not fix all issues, a legal framework is still needed.
"I encourage the Commission to reconsider its idea of withdrawing the proposal," said Ralf-Charley Schultze, Director General of UIRR. "A long-term perspective is needed, and the European Parliament should be allowed to continue its work," he added.
The current challenges of Combined Transport, UIRR argues, relate primarily to network capacity, reliability and planning. The organisation fears that withdrawing the CTD amendment without an alternative roadmap could slow progress at a critical moment for European rail freight.
