UIRR spent the week in the European Parliament building in Brussels with its exhibition titled Combined Transport Delivers.  Transport Commissioner Adina Valean announced the amendment proposal at the ceremonial opening of the exhibition on Tuesday, 7 November.

The exhibition, hosted by MEP Markus Ferber, was also visited by Belgian Minister of Transport Georges Gilkinet, who will lead the transport activities of the incoming Belgian European Council Presidency.

The initial review of the Commission’s Combined Transport Directive amendment proposal promises a true revolution by:

1)     Explicitly and quantifiably recognising the externality advantage of Combined Transport over long-distance unimodal truck transport,

2)     Requiring Member States to draw up a strategic freight transport plan and within it a chapter specifying the objectives to be achieved through Combined Transport,

3)     Mandating the implementation of a mix of support measures that result in at least a 10% reduction in the operating costs of Combined Transport.

4)     Extending the qualification of Combined Transport to also include purely domestic operations.

UIRR is presently studying the details of the proposal and analysing the impact assessment to be able to draw-up its position paper. At the same time the request has been repeated that the Combined Transport Directive is considered in conjunction with the Weights and Dimensions Directive and the new CountEmissionsEU Regulation has been repeated.

The Combined Transport Directive amendment proposal was further scrutinised at a parliamentary breakfast event on Wednesday, 8 November – organised together with the European Logistics Platform.  Opinions were offered by Combined Transport practitioners:

Dariusz Stefanski, CEO of PCC Intermodal (top left) , and Jürgen Albersmann, CEO of Contargo (top right).

Explanations were delivered by DG MOVE Head of Unit D.1, Annika Kroon (bottom left) in charge of the proposal, while questions were raised by attending Members of Parliament, including the host, Markus Ferber.

Discussions will continue during the coming weeks and months.

“The 3 components of the Greening Freight Transport Package impacting the road side, the Weights and Dimensions and the Combined Transport directive amendments and the new CountEmissionsEU Regulation should be considered together.  The TRAN Committee should grant a few-week delay for submitting the Weights and Dimensions amendments to enable the factoring of Combined Transport considerations.

The exhibition opening was attended by a crowd of Combined Transport practitioners and several members of the European Parliament and their staffers.

>>> The photo album of the opening ceremony is available here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Sg1Mk7C24LvnLmocA