Today, the European Union's transport ministers adopted a Council position amending Directive 53 of 25 July 1996 on authorised dimensions and weights for lorries, Buses and coaches operating in international traffic including incentives for the road haulage sector to invests in zero-emission technologies, in particular by enabling compensation for the additional weight due to these technologies. In addition, the amendments would allow the use of the Systems European Modular Vehicles (EMS), the heavy-duty vehicles that can reach 25 metres in length, between the different Member States that allow use. "This - underlined the minister of the Danish Transport Department, Thomas Danielsen - will contribute to promote the adoption of the ecological transition of transport on while ensuring the future safety of the transport sector, transport'.

The Council's position would also allow zero-speed trucks or combinations of heavy-duty vehicles involved in intermodal transport operations to cross borders even if they exceed the maximum weights defined in the Directive, and if the weight does not exceed what is allowed on both sides of the frontier.

With today's endorsement by the Council of the EU, the presidency can now start negotiations with the Parliament to reach a final agreement.

The position adopted by the Council today was not welcomed by the main European associations of the rail and intermodal freight transport. In a statement CER, ERFA, RFF, UIP, UIRR and UNIFE found that if in the summer of 2023, when it presented the "Package for a greener freight transport", the European Commission had promised "greater economic gains with less environmental impact', noted that, with the adoption of Council for a general approach on the weights of the and the size of road commercial vehicles, the of road haulage can expect economic gains, but the society will have to wait for a reduction in the impact environmental of logistics.

The six associations underlined the harmful impact that the could have, consciously widening the gap between competitiveness that has disadvantaged freight transport railway for too long, and recalled that the proposal on the The weights and dimensions of the trucks had to go hand in hand with the revision of the combined transport directive. "Achieving a positive and ambitious outcome in this review - highlighted CER, ERFA, RFF, UIP, UIRR and UNIFE - was, and remains, essential to ensure that all modes of transport become more efficient, contribute to a more sustainable European logistics and help the EU to achieve the objectives of the Clean Industrial Deal by incentivising rail and intermodal freight transport solutions. To this end, regarding - the six associations denounced - the intention of the Commission (2026 Work Programme) to withdraw the proposal for a Revision of the Combined Transport Directive - part of the same Package for greener freight transport - represents a negative signal and should be kept in mind in the evaluation of the proposal on weights and dimensions' ( of 24 October 2025).

CER, ERFA, RFF, UIP, UIRR and UNIFE noted that, 'in a highly cost-sensitive market, any facility Cross-border truck management with Modular Systems European Union will make rail and intermodal transport less Good looking. This, they stressed, is in contrast with the EU's stated objectives: strengthening the internal market, balancing the freight sector by promoting high-speed capacities such as rail, increasing energy efficiency and reduce emissions, as well as road accidents and congestion. Strengthening the economic attractiveness of freight transport heavy-duty end-to-end via truck will further accelerate the degradation of road infrastructure, with a consequent increase in road works and related congestion. In addition Enabling the cross-border movement of more long and heavy risks compromising the efforts to build interoperable multimodal supply chains based on a robust combined transport ecosystem, given that a significant number of of intermodal terminals and railway wagons will not be in capable of accommodating EMS vehicles".

CER, ERFA, RFF, UIP, UIRR and UNIFE therefore urged the EU legislators not to lose sight of the most important vision of the of an interoperable and long-term logistics ecosystem, and able to achieve shared transport objectives, Energy, climate, environment and social.