Charging of heavy goods vehicles for the use of certain infrastructures

Publication date: 18 March 2009

Charging of heavy goods vehicles for the use of certain infrastructures

Rapporteur: Saïd El Khadraoui (PSE,BE)

Codecision procedure, first reading

The European Parliament reconfirmed the Commission approach to have an enabling (voluntary) Directive. Member States can introduce road tolls or vignette systems if they wish to do so.

Tolls must be proportionate and non-discriminatory. Member States are also free to choose which external cost charge they introduce or not. They can opt for only one or to go for two or all three external costs that are allowed (noise, air and congestion). Member States would be allowed to charge for some environmental costs caused by lorries.

The Directive applies to all vehicles of more than 3.5 tonnes as of 2012. The European Parliament follows the Commission text allowing under certain conditions the possibility of exceptions for vehicles up to 12t.

The Commission proposed that the Directive applies to all interurban roads. Parliament reduced the geographical scope on TEN-T roads and all roads that usually carry a lot of international traffic.

In urban areas, regulatory charges like congestion charge are allowed even on TEN-T roads that cross urban areas.

The Commission proposed the possibility of a markup of 25 percent to be added to the infrastructure charge in mountainous areas. The extra revenue must be used to finance alternatives on the same corridor. The EP position is that the envisaged external cost charge can be added as a supplement to the mark-up for mountainous areas and conurbations.

Tariffs cannot exceed the cost of building and maintaining infrastructure it is charged for and a reasonable profit margin. There is a precise cap for each air pollution charge and noise charge (maximum values in tables in Annex for these externalities), and the calculation method must be based on common formulas in the Annex. The European Parliament lowered some caps for air pollution giving significant incentives for less polluting lorries. As result of the vote, there are no maximum values and no calculation method for congestion.

The EP also strengthens the earmarking provisions for external and infrastructure cost charging.

Revenues from the external cost charging must be reinvested in the transport system in order to make it more sustainable.

The EP introduced that in 2013, the Commission has to come up with a report on the Directive, and makes proposals for further modifications.

The report was adopted by 359:256:86.

Source: TRANNEWS