Source: https://trans.info/intermodal-commission-370453

European Commission adopts new proposal concerning intermodal transport

The European Commission has announced its adoption of proposals aimed to make freight transport more sustainable by improving the competitiveness of intermodal freight .

The proposal updates the current Combined Transport Directive and completes the Greening Freight Package, the bulk of which was adopted in July 2023.

The Commission stresses that the package will help the freight sector do its part in the EU achieving its Green Deal goals.

The proposals concern combined transport, which the Commission describes as having flexibility of road transport, which would still be used for the first/last leg of a journey to ensure that any location in the EU can be reached, with the environmental performance of rail, inland waterways or short sea shipping for the main leg of the journey.

The revision, argues The Commission, will make intermodal transport more efficient and competitive.

The proposal involves the following:

• Digital platforms established under the electronic freight transport information Regulation (eFTI) will provide a calculation tool allowing transport organisers to prove whether their operation is eligible for support. They will submit the necessary information in an accessible manner; accredited digital systems will do the rest.
• Alongside existing regulatory measures, the proposal introduces an exemption from temporary driving bans, such as weekend driving bans for combined transport. The aim is to improve the use of terminal and other infrastructure capacity by allowing trucks carrying out the short feeder legs to reach terminals as and when they need to, based on train, barge or ship departure times.
• The proposal sets Member States a competitiveness target to reduce by at least 10% the average door-to-door cost of combined transport operations within 7 years, and requires them to put in place the policies needed to achieve this. A new EU gateway for intermodal transport information will provide links to all Member States’ national policy frameworks, as well as practical information on measures in place, increasing the transparency of national measures.
• Terminal operators will also be required to provide minimum information on their websites on the services and facilities at their EU transhipment terminals.

The proposal will now be considered by the European Parliament and the Council according to the ordinary legislative procedure.

Commenting on the announcement, Commissioner for Transport, Adina Vălean, said:

“In 2022, 13.6 billion tonnes of goods were carried on EU roads. This freight is central to the EU economy, and as demand increases, we need to keep the costs and the emissions under control. With our proposal, lorries will continue to have a role in the freight sector, but combining them with other, more sustainable transport modes, such as barges, short sea shipping or trains, will reduce the external costs of transport and optimise the use of our transport network for the benefit of citizens and our economy.”

Read more at: https://trans.info/intermodal-commission-370453