On 22 October 2025, the European Commission adopted its 2026 work programme, announcing its intention to withdraw the proposed amendment to the Combined Transport Directive, initially presented in November 2023 as part of the Greening Freight Package. The measure, which was intended to update the regulatory framework for intermodality and promote modal shift in European freight transport, has been included in the list of withdrawn initiatives published by the College of Commissioners.
The decision comes at a particularly sensitive time. The parliamentary study requested by rapporteur Flavio Tosi had just been completed, and the European Parliament was preparing to begin its examination of the proposal. The sudden withdrawal, made without prior public consultation, has been met with surprise and concern across the sector.
According to the International Union for Road-Rail Combined Transport (Uirr), representing European intermodal operators, the Commission should have waited for the parliamentary stage before intervening. In a statement issued on 22 October, the association described the move as a “step backwards” from the Green Deal objectives, emphasising the need for a solid regulatory framework to support investment in infrastructure capacity and digitalisation. Director General Ralf-Charley Schultze urged Brussels not to apply the new work programme rigidly and to allow a broader political discussion.
The proposed revision of the Combined Transport Directive, included in the 2023 Greening Freight Package, aimed to modernise the 1992 legislation by introducing clearer definitions of combined transport, administrative simplifications and incentives for the use of lower-emission transport modes. Among the measures envisaged were harmonised criteria for calculating road and rail distances, the promotion of digital tracking systems for intermodal flows and the possibility for Member States to introduce tax breaks or infrastructure support. The stated objective was to progressively shift part of freight traffic from road to rail and inland waterways, in line with the European Green Deal and the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy.
The withdrawal of the revision effectively halts the process of updating a regulation considered strategic for the growth of intermodal transport, which balances sustainability with industrial competitiveness. The Combined Transport Directive, dating back to 1992, was expected to be updated to meet current needs for interoperability, digital traceability and coordination between rail and road networks.
Politically, the Commission’s choice reshapes relations among EU institutions in the transport sector. Several Members of the European Parliament have voiced concerns, arguing that the decision limits the Parliament’s scope for initiative on a key issue for achieving climate goals. Member States, in turn, now await a signal from the Parliament to relaunch the legislative debate. In the absence of an updated regulatory framework, structural challenges continue to hinder the competitiveness of combined transport in Europe: efficient terminal availability, digital system interoperability and corridor coordination. Without progress on these fronts, operators warn, the risk is a further slowdown in the path towards a sustainable European logistics system.
