Brussels, 07/06/2011 (Agence Europe) - Revision of “Eurovignette” road haulage tax rules, endorsed on Tuesday 7 June by the European Parliament (after a compromise with the Council on 23 May - see EUROPE 10385) will make it possible for member states to charge hauliers for air and noise pollution costs, in addition to motorway tolls.
With the adoption in Strasbourg on Tuesday 7 June of the report by Saïd El Khadraoui (S&D, Belgium) by 505 votes to 141 and 17 abstentions, the EP adopted a compromise which also ensures that revenue from haulage taxes serves to finance the future of more effective and less polluting transport systems.
Saïd El Khadraoui welcomed the outcome of the vote, saying: “Today, Europe has shown it is able to take the right decisions for its citizens. Discussions have been long and laborious. We have reached a balanced compromise between those who wanted a very ambitious agreement and those who feared excessive costs for hauliers. The additional costs will, however, be marginal compared to the benefits for society.”
For the first time, the polluter-pays principle will be applied to the road transport sector. Member states will have the possibility to charge the transport sector for external costs relating to noise and air pollution. “This is a step in the right direction”, the rapporteur feels, adding that the European Commission has nonetheless a great deal of work to do. He said they awaited new proposals for making the new measures compulsory, including the cost of all damage caused to the environment and extending the polluter-pays principle to all modes of transport.
On average, 3 to 4 euro centimes (per vehicle and per kilometre covered) may thus be added to charges for using transport infrastructure to cover the external costs of road haulage, starting with air and noise pollution. The directive will cover not only trans-European transport (TEN-T) networks but all motorways, and will apply to vehicles of over 3.5 tonnes. If a member state wishes to grant exemptions for vehicles up to 12 tonnes, then it must notify the European Commission of its reasons for doing so.
In exchange, member states take the firm commitment to invest 15% of overall revenue in the TEN-T networks. To promote transparency and public debate, MEPs included in the law a requirement that member states report regularly to the Commission on the charges imposed and the use made of revenue from them.
Lorries with the least-polluting engines will be exempt from air pollution charges until 1 January 2014 (EURO V emission class) and until 1 January 2018 for EURO VI. In sensitive and mountainous regions, the existing “mark-up” of up to 25% may continue to apply and may be added to the external costs charged for lorries in the heaviest polluting classes (EURO 0 to II). It may also be extended to the EURO III class from 1 January 2015.
Avoiding traffic jams. To manage traffic flows more effectively without generating more revenue, charges may be varied by up to 175% in congested areas, with the highest charges applying during five rush hours, and lower rates at all other times. To enable hauliers to calculate their costs and plan routes, the European Commission will make available a list of charges and the times when they apply throughout the EU. The new rules may be applied three months after their publication in the Official Journal.
Dirk Sterckx (ALDE, Belgium) said they would have liked member states to show greater commitment but welcomed the fact that the principle of allocating revenue had been agreed. On the matter of reallocating revenue for reinvestment in the transport sector, Sterckx considers that such costs must not be interpreted as a new charge but as an investment aimed at reducing the negative, long-term external effects and developing a sustainable transport sector. Fifteen percent allocation is less than they would have liked but it is nonetheless a small step that could, he said, lead to further revision of the directive and extension to other forms of transport.
The Greens/EFA at the EP explains it had voted in favour of the polluter-pays principle but considers that review of the legislation is a “missed opportunity” to include the real environmental and climate-related costs. Isabelle Durant regrets that even though the revised legislation authorises member states to introduce a polluter-pays system on a voluntary basis by including the real cost of air and noise pollution in national tolls or taxes for heavy goods vehicles, other external transport-related costs have been totally excluded. For example, she said, it is a great worry that costs relating to road accidents have not been included in the tax. (L.C./transl.jl)