In April 2026, a joint industry position paper called for a swift revision of the Combined Transport (CT) Directive, underlining its importance for efficient and sustainable freight transport in Europe.
Combined Transport supports the shift towards rail, inland waterways and short sea shipping, contributing to lower emissions, reduced congestion and improved energy efficiency. At the same time, wider use of CT depends on reliable, cost-competitive and easy-to-use solutions, supported by adequate infrastructure and smooth information flows.
The paper points out that the current Directive is outdated and does not reflect today’s logistics realities, leading to legal uncertainty, fragmented application across Member States and an uneven playing field with road transport.
The joint industry calls in particular for:
• A restart of the legislative process with a focus on clarity and practical implementation
• A clear and easy-to-apply eligibility framework
• Better harmonisation across Member States
• More digitalisation to reduce administrative burden
• Faster implementation of national measures
A modern framework is seen as key to improving the competitiveness and resilience of European supply chains.
From FEPORT’s perspective, a well-functioning Combined Transport framework remains essential to support efficient hinterland connections and strengthen the role of ports in multimodal logistics chains.
