On 11 May 2026, the European Parliament published amendments to the Council position on the regulation on the use of railway infrastructure capacity. Proposed exclusively by the Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN) group, the two amendments seek to remove the explicit linkage between the regulation and the EU's climate objectives under the European Green Deal.
The amendments target the political and legal framing of the regulation rather than its operational provisions. Amendment 1 inserts the word "unrealistic" before "climate-neutrality objective" in a recital referencing the European Green Deal, changing the tone from a policy commitment to a critical assessment. Amendment 2 deletes the phrase "in accordance with the Union's climate targets" from the article setting the objective of making optimum effective use of railway infrastructure, removing the legal requirement that capacity planning align with emission reduction goals.
The ESN group argues that the 2050 climate-neutrality objective is unrealistic and should not be a driver for railway infrastructure use. This position diverges from the majority of political groups (EPP, S&D, Renew, Greens/EFA, The Left), which supported the original text linking the regulation to the Green Deal and climate targets during first reading. The amendments implicitly reveal a fundamental ideological divide: whether EU transport legislation should be subordinated to climate neutrality targets.
If adopted, the changes would weaken the regulatory link between railway capacity management and the EU's climate law. Infrastructure managers and capacity allocation bodies could pursue modal shift without being legally bound to contribute to the 2030/2050 climate targets, potentially reducing the priority given to climate-driven rail investments.
The regulation aims to improve the use of railway infrastructure capacity across the single European railway area, amending Directive 2012/34/EU and repealing Regulation (EU) No 913/2010. The Council position at first reading was adopted earlier, and the Parliament's second reading amendments will now be considered. The next steps include a plenary vote on the amendments, followed by possible trilogue negotiations if the Council does not accept the changes.
Stakeholders impacted include rail infrastructure managers and capacity allocation bodies, which would face reduced legal pressure to align operations with climate targets; rail operators and freight companies, which might see less prioritisation of climate-driven investments; and environmental NGOs, which would likely oppose the weakening of climate linkages. The amendments, if adopted, would represent a moderate shift away from integrating climate objectives into transport sector regulation.
← Atlas › News › Transport & Infrastructure