The Committee on Transport and Tourism adopted the report by Daniela AIUTO (EFDD, IT) on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 92/106/EEC on the establishment of common rules for certain types of combined transport of goods between Member States.
The purpose of the proposal is to revise Directive 92/106/EEC on combined transport in order to facilitate its operation, in particular by extending its scope, with a wider range of possible support measures. The objective would be to create a resource-efficient multimodal transport network and reduce the negative impacts of transport in terms of air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, accidents, noise pollution and congestion.
Scope and definitions
Members proposed to better define the vehicles included in the scope of the Directive, making a distinction between vehicles/load units accompanied or not by their drivers. It is necessary to clarify that cranable trailers and semi-trailers are allowed to have a gross weight of 44 tonnes if the loading units are identified according to international standards ISO6346 and EN13044.
Each road leg shall not exceed 150 km in distance in the territory of the Union. Member States on whose territory the road leg takes place may allow the distance limit of the road segment to be exceeded for combined rail/road transport operations under clear conditions and according to criteria applicable to the whole Union. Such excess should be duly justified. Member States may reduce the 150 km length of the road leg by up to 50%.
Members specified that the road leg and/or non-road leg or the part thereof taking place out of the territory of the Union shall not be considered to be part of the combined transport operation.
Evidence and digital means
Member States shall ensure that road transport is considered forming part of a combined transport operation covered by this Directive only if the carrier can produce information providing clear evidence that such road transport constitutes a road leg of a combined transport operation and if that information is duly transmitted to the haulier carrying the transport operation before the start of the operation. Members specified the list of information that drivers must provide during roadside checks.
In case of road side checks, it shall be presented within the duration of such check, and within a maximum of 45 minutes.
The evidence may be provided through existing transport documents such as the consignment notes provided for under existing international or national transport conventions, until a standardised form is laid down by the Commission by way of implementing acts. Member States authorities shall be required to accept electronic information related to the evidence.
Member States shall move towards a gradual dematerialisation of documentation, and shall provide for a transitional period until the use of the paper format has been fully abandoned.
Social protection for drivers
In order to ensure the social protection of drivers performing activities in another Member State, Members considered that the provisions on the secondment of drivers laid down in Directive 96/71/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and those on the implementation of those provisions laid down in Directive 2014/67/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council should apply to road legs in all types of operations.
Measures to support combined transport
Member States should prioritise investment in transhipment terminals to reduce bottlenecks and congestion areas, in particular near urban and sub-urban areas, in order to make it easier to cross natural barriers such as mountain areas, to improve cross-border connections, to reduce harmful airborne emissions and to improve access to and from industrial areas which lack such infrastructure.
Economic support measures may include, inter alia:
- the reduction of certain taxes or transport fees, grants for intermodal load units effectively transported in combined transport operations, or the partial reimbursement of transhipments cost;
- fostering the integration of connected systems and the automation of operations as well as investment in digital logistics, innovative freight handling systems information and communications technologies and intelligent transport systems;
- boosting the environmental performance, efficiency and sustainability of combined transport by encouraging the use of clean or low-emission vehicles and alternative fuels.
Measures to support combined transport operations could benefit from some flexibility to encourage the use of State aid.
By 31 December 2021, Member States shall take additional measures of an economic and legislative nature, to improve the competitiveness of combined transport operations as compared to equivalent alternative road transport operations, in particular with a view to reducing the time and costs involved in transhipment operations.
Evaluation and monitoring
The Commission shall be responsible for the proper implementation of this Directive and for achieving the objective of developing combined transport EU-wide by 2030 and 2050. To that end, it shall regularly assess progress in increasing the share of combined transport in each Member State, on the basis of the information provided by the Member States, and should, if necessary, present a proposal to amend to this Directive with a view to achieving that Union-wide objective.