The European Parliament and the Council of the EU reached an agreement on the future of the ‘Eurovignette’ directive (see EUROPE 12741/13) in final negotiations on the night of Tuesday 15 June to Wednesday 16 June. While the co-legislators welcomed this outcome, it is clear that not everyone is happy with the agreement.
In detail, the European Parliament’s proposal would lead to the abolition of time-based vignettes for trucks and vans and their replacement by a distance-based system in order to better take into account the ‘polluter pays’ principle.
The agreement reached by the co-legislators proposes to phase out the vignette for heavy goods vehicles on the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) over a period of 8 years. Member States will be able to use exemptions in “duly justified cases”.
It will also be possible for them, in the event that a vignette system already exists before the new rules come into force, to combine vignettes and a distance-based system. However, it will be up to the Member States to decide whether or not to charge for other types of vehicles.
“While this reform is necessary, the agreement on the table today is very disappointing in terms of addressing the climate emergency. We cannot be satisfied with small measures. We are the first generation to suffer the effects of climate change, but also the last to be able to act, which is why such agreements cannot be satisfactory”, said the chair of the European Parliament’s transport committee, Karima Delli (Greens/EFA, France).
User fees and external costs
A system of varying user charges will also be introduced according to the environmental performance of the vehicles. The system will initially only apply to trucks.
Long exempted by the Council during the negotiations, vans will be subject to a mandatory scheme from 2026. By this date, Member States will have to apply a charge to minibuses and vans and index vignettes and charges to the environmental performance of the vehicles concerned.
An external cost charge - for noise or air pollution - will become compulsory for heavy goods vehicles after a transitional period of four years. Again, Member States will have the power to act and may notify the Commission of the non-application of this charge, should it lead to a diversion of traffic with unintended negative consequences.
“We have achieved some small victories, notably with regard to the introduction of external cost charges for heavy vehicles, as well as a variation of charge prices according to the environmental performance of trucks and vans. But this remains a policy of small steps”, added Delli.
The future is still uncertain
Finally, and among other things, the Parliament called for the revenue raised by the Member States to be reinvested in road infrastructure. There is no obligation on this point, as the compromise reached late only provides for the publication of reports by Member States on user fees and the use of these revenues.
It remains to be seen whether the text will be accepted by the permanent representatives of the EU Member States. “The Council exceeded its mandate and the Member States wanted as few mandatory rules as possible. Some states will definitely vote against”, a source close to the matter told EUROPE.
In the same way, the Parliament will have to be convinced in plenary session. And on this point, it is not a foregone conclusion either. "The S&D and Renew Europe were the only formations to support this agreement. The EPP is expected to be divided on the issue and there is a strong chance that the other groups will vote against it," our source added. (Original version in French by Thomas Mangin)