The reform consists of two linked instruments: the Land and Multimodal Transport Guidelines (LMTG) and the Transport Block Exemption Regulation (TBER). In practical terms, Brussels has updated the rules on when governments can use public money to support freight transport projects that are considered more sustainable than road-only haulage.
What exactly has changed?
The LMTG set out the conditions under which State aid must still be notified to the Commission before it can be approved. The TBER goes further by exempting certain categories of aid from that prior notification requirement, meaning governments can, in some cases, move ahead without waiting for Brussels to sign off first. The Commission says this is intended to simplify the process and allow support measures to be rolled out more quickly.
The new framework covers rail, inland waterways and sustainable multimodal transport. In the case of multimodal transport, at least one leg must involve rail or inland waterways. The rules also cover combinations of land transport with short sea shipping.
According to the Commission, the new rules provide for support measures including aid to reduce the external costs of transport, aid to launch new commercial connections, aid for the construction, upgrade and renewal of unimodal and multimodal railway service and inland waterway facilities, aid for private sidings, aid for the acquisition of rail or inland waterway vehicles, aid for interoperability, and aid for technical adaptation and modernisation. The Commission also says the LMTG alone cover certain rail freight public service obligations, while the TBER alone covers aid for intermodal loading units or cranes on board vessels.
The LMTG apply from 30 March 2026 and remains in force until further notice, while the TBER also starts on 30 March 2026 and runs until 31 December 2034.
Why should road freight operators care?
The reform makes it easier for Member States to support infrastructure and services that compete with road-only freight on part of the journey. That includes rail-linked terminals, inland waterway facilities, sidings, handling equipment and multimodal connections.
In other words, the Commission is trying to make the modal shift easier to finance. If governments can back rail and inland waterway projects more quickly and with less bureaucracy, that could gradually strengthen combined transport and shift some freight away from long road legs. The likely effect would be indirect and gradual rather than immediate, but for international hauliers it is still relevant because it could influence freight flows, terminal investment and competitive conditions on major corridors over time.
The Commission is also presenting the reform as part of its broader green and digital transition agenda. Its transport legislation page says the new rules are meant to make it easier and faster for Member States to support sustainable land transport solutions
