Combined transport: which EU rules and benefits apply?

Short answer: Combined transport is intermodal freight transport where the largest part of the journey runs by rail, inland waterway or sea, and only the initial and final legs by road. If a trip meets the conditions, Directive 92/106/EEC grants benefits: the road leg is exempt from cabotage restrictions and certain licensing requirements, and Member States may offer fiscal incentives.

What is combined transport?

Directive 92/106/EEC defines combined (intermodal) transport as the carriage of goods between Member States where the truck, trailer, semi-trailer, swap body or container covers the main leg by rail, inland waterway or sea, and only the first and last stretch by road. The aim is a modal shift: moving heavy and long-distance haulage off the road and onto rail and water, with the road as the flexible first and last link.

The directive sets limits on the road leg. The initial and final road haulage must stay short (a limited stretch to or from the nearest suitable rail, inland waterway or sea terminal). If a trip exceeds that limit, it is simply road transport and the benefits do not apply.

What benefits does it provide?

• Cabotage exemption: the road leg of a combined-transport trip falls outside the usual cabotage restrictions that apply to pure road transport.
• Licensing exemption: certain licensing requirements that would otherwise apply to domestic road haulage are waived for the road leg.
• Possible fiscal incentives: Member States may (partly) exempt vehicles used in combined transport from, or grant reductions on, certain taxes.

When does a trip qualify and what do you need?

A trip qualifies if the main leg demonstrably runs by rail, inland waterway or sea and the road leg stays within the permitted limit. In practice this means:

• Proof of the intermodal leg: a transport document showing the loading and unloading terminals, the mode used and the distances.
• Statement on the consignment note: the details of the rail, inland waterway or sea leg, so that during an inspection you can show the trip is combined transport.
• Stamps or confirmation from the terminals where the transhipment takes place.

Is new legislation coming?

Yes, but not yet final. In 2023 the Commission proposed a revision (COM(2023) 702), aimed at cutting the cost of combined transport by at least 10% compared with pure road transport and at improving monitoring. Note: this is a proposal under consideration and not yet in force. Until it is adopted, Directive 92/106/EEC remains the applicable framework.

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