Brussels, 23/07/2003 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, the European Commission adopted the proposal of directive amending the 1999 "Eurovignette" directive on the taxation of heavy goods vehicles using certain road infrastructures. "The proposal is realistic and ambitious", declared Loyola de Palacio, Commissioner for Transport, who added that the aim of the proposal is not to penalise road transport but for certain costs to be borne by users and no longer by the taxpayers.
The proposal completes the existing Community framework by aligning the national systems of tolls and road use charges on common principles (Eurovignette). It is not to do away with the existing tolls nor to make it compulsory for Member States to bring in new tolls, but to propose common principles on the pricing of road infrastructure use. The Commissioner, who cited the case of Germany, Austria and France, said the national initiatives announced could create distortion and raise the problem of competitiveness. She added that this proposal would allow the "Ecopoints" issue to be settled (Ed.: at conciliation procedure between the European Parliament and the Council). Ms de Palacio explained that, if the Eurovignette directive is adopted, the proposal on Ecopoints will not be necessary. She hoped to see it adopted before the end of the year or early next year.
The proposal of directive will apply to vehicles used for goods transport and weighing over 3.5 tonnes (whereas the 1999 directive applies to vehicles of a weight equal or more than 12 tonnes), using the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) as well as a number of parallel routes (such as national roads) used by the vehicles concerned in order to avoid the TEN-T network.
Costs taken into account will be those in the current "Eurovignette" directive (linked to construction, use, maintenance and network development). However, the proposal limits the taking into account of construction for new infrastructure. It also takes into account of the costs of accidents not covered by insurance (administrative costs at the public services, medical and for material damages). A common methodology for the calculation of the different cost elements is proposed. The proposal has not, however, retained certain costs like noise emissions (the commissioner explained to the press that these costs were unquantifiable).
Member States may amend tolls depending on certain factors: distance travelled, location, kind of infrastructure and speed, characteristics of the vehicle (engine, ecology or less polluting), the time of day and the level of congestion, the road network (sensitiveness to environment or high density of the population). From 1 July 2008, changing tolls, depending on the road network, will be obligatory. Income from tolls and charges for road use will only be used only for road infrastructure. However, crossed finance will be authorised in some sensitive areas (like the Alps and the Pyrenese). Toll surcharges will be 25% (instead of the 20% originally planned: EUROPE 23 July p 14) on the condition that this revenue is used to develop alternative modes of transport on the same network. In order to avoid penalising road users, the setting up of this system could be accompanied by compensation (for example with a reduction in the annual road tax). The Commission wants electronic tolls to replace the current systems.
The system is also panning on independent entities (national, regional and local) to be designated by Member States responsible for implementing directive provisions (notably on checking that financial resources are reinvested in the transport networks). The Commission will produce a report to Parliament and the Council on the implementation and the effects of the directive on 1 July 2008.