11 July 2018

CLECAT welcomes positive TRAN report on Combined Transport

The European Parliament’s Transport Committee adopted its report on the revision of the Combined Transport Directive on 10 July.

CLECAT sees the adopted report as a largely positive document, based on a strong draft by rapporteur Daniela Aiuto MEP and pragmatic compromise amendments negotiated between the political groups.

The TRAN report sets a limit of 150km for the road leg of a combined transport operation, but allowing this to be exceeded where necessary to reach the nearest suitable road/rail terminal for the operation in question. This is an improvement on the current situation and therefore can be seen as a reasonable compromise.

CLECAT also sees the report’s compromises on incentives for combined transport and support for terminal expansion as positive steps which will boost the uptake of combined transport as a part of efficient logistics chains.

Nicolette van der Jagt, Director General of CLECAT, said: “The vote in the Transport Committee is a vote for pragmatic legislation to encourage and facilitate Combined Transport, modernising the current outdated Directive. We trust that this will lay the basis for focused and determined negotiations with the Council so that we may arrive quickly at legislation which is appropriate for the needs and realities of the European transport and logistics market.  As freight forwarders aim to deliver logistics chains which are efficient, competitive and sustainable, legislation which acts as an enabler to these aims is to be welcomed.’

CLECAT does regret the continued inclusion of amendments which would remove the ‘cabotage exemption’ from Combined Transport and impose posting of workers rules, in particular in light of the uncertainty over the future of the related legislative proposals following the European Parliament’s votes on 4 July.