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Following a vote of its political groups, the European Parliament’s Transport Committee (TRAN) has rejected a proposal to withdraw the revision of the Combined Transport Directive, offering a potential lifeline to a file that had been at risk of being abandoned altogether.

The Directive, which forms part of the EU’s Greening Freight Package, had been thrown into uncertainty after the European Commission signaled its intention to withdraw its proposed amendments to the existing 1992 framework from the Commission’s 2026 work programme.

The TRAN vote signals political support within the Parliament to keep the legislative process alive. While this decision does not automatically secure the future of the Directive, it does reopen the door for further parliamentary work and keeps intermodality firmly on the agenda.

The next procedural step lies with the Parliament’s rapporteur, Flavio Tosi, who is expected to propose a way forward towards a first reading in the coming weeks. At the same time, the Council will need to clarify whether it is willing to continue work on the file or allow it to lapse. While the outcome remains uncertain, the TRAN vote suggests that the debate on combined transport is not over yet and that there is still political momentum to pursue a modernised EU framework for intermodal freight.