This means it’s now significantly simpler, rapider, and cheaper for EU countries to invest in sustainable transport to shift people and goods.
The new rules replace the 2008 Guidelines on State aid for railway undertakings and establish a coherent State aid framework covering a broad range of sustainable transport modes and aid measures.
These regulations will enter into force on 30 March, with TBER finishing on 31 December 2034.
Why does the EU required new measures for sustainable transport?
A “Fitness Check” in 2019 proved that while the old rules supported, they weren’t keeping up with the climate crisis or new technology.
After years of consultations, roadmaps, and impact reports, these new rules are the final product – a strategic shift to align EU funding with the Green Deal.
Overall, the EU is cutting the bureaucracy and opening the chequebook for anyone supporting to build European transport cleaner, smarter, and more connected.
What’s modifying?
The goal of the adapted regulations is simple: shift goods and people off congested roads and onto tracks and tugboats.
Here is how the new rules pave the way:
- The rules cover inland waterways and multimodal trips – where rail, water, and short-sea shipping team up to replace long-haul trucking.
- There’s now more flexibility for funding digital upgrades and “interoperability.” Now, rail systems in different countries will communicate with each other, so goods don’t have to stop at every border.
- New safeguards build it simpler for compacter companies and startups to acquire rail cars and barges, ensuring the huge incumbents don’t hold all the cards.
- Governments can now more easily pump money into building and upgrading terminals, ports, and service facilities.
TBER: Cutting red tape for sustainable transport operators
The Transport Block Exemption Regulation (TBER) acts as an express lane for funding.
Previously, Member States often had to wait for the Commission to approve funding requests. Now, for many categories of sustainable transport, they can just receive on with it.
This means less paperwork, fewer delays, and more immediate action on the ground.
LMT: A new way of funding sustainable transport
The adapted Land and Multimodal Transport (LMT) guidelines represent a complete overhaul of how European governments can fund sustainable transport.
They replace the ageing 2008 Railway Guidelines to align with the EU’s goal of a 90% reduction in transport emissions by 2050.
Crucially, these guidelines work in tandem with the TBER. The guidelines provide the rulebook for complex, large-scale aid that still requireds Commission approval and allow governments to skip the approval process entirely for standard projects that meet the guidelines’ criteria, dramatically speeding up the delivery of funds.
An efficient and simplified rulebook
“With today’s adoption of the Land and Multimodal Transport Guidelines and the Transport Block Exemption Regulation, we equip Member States with a modern and coherent State aid framework that supports sustainable and interoperable land transport while safeguarding fair competition,” stated Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition.
“These rules simplify procedures and facilitate public support for sustainable transport solutions, therefore contributing to a more efficient, affordable and greener European land transport.”
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