Memo: Review of the Directive on charging Heavy Goods Vehicles – ‘Eurovignette Directive’- Q&As

Political agreement was reached by EU Transport Ministers on the 15 October 2010 on a proposal to charge trucks for the noise and pollution they cause, paving the way for the introduction of green road tolls across Europe.

The Council reached political agreement on a draft directive amending the 1999 directive on the charging of heavy goods vehicles for the use of certain infrastructures.
The draft framework legislation aims at reducing pollution from road freight transport and making traffic more fluent by levying tolls that factor in the cost of air and noise pollution due to traffic (so called external costs) and help avoid road congestion. To this end, member states may apply a new 'external cost charge' on lorries, complementing the already existing infrastructure charge for the recovery of infrastructure costs. They may also modulate the infrastructure charge to take account of road congestion at peak hours (this provision on charge modulation is part of the presidency's compromise text and replaces the controversial congestion charge contained in the initial Commission proposal).

The amount of tolls will vary depending on the type and the emissions of the vehicle, the distance travelled, the location and the time of road use. Such differentiated charging is intended to encourage the move to 'greener' transport patterns, contributing thereby to reducing fuel
consumption and combating climate change.

The proposal will now go to the European Parliament for further consideration.

• Primary Source

EurActiv, 15.10.10: Belgium eyes EU breakthrough on green road tolls http://www.euractiv.com/en/sustainability/belgium-eyes-eu-breakthrough-green-road-tolls-news-498809

ESO: Background Information: Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 1999/62/EC on the charging of heavy goods vehicles for the use of certain infrastructures http://www.europeansources.info/record/proposal-for-a-directive-of-the-european-parliament-and-of-the-council-amending-directive-1999-62-ec-on-the-charging-of-heavy-goods-vehicles-for-the-use-of-certain-infrastructures-2/

EUObserver, 15.10.10: Member states strike deal on 'green' toll for lorries http://euobserver.com/9/31053

Council of the European Union: Press Release: PRES/10/277: Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council, Luxembourg, 15 October 2010 http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/trans/117113.pdf

European Parliament: Legislative Observatory: Charging of heavy goods vehicles for the use of infrastructure: differentiated charging http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?id=566599

Transport and Environment: Press Release, 15.10.10: Transport Ministers approve air and noise pollution charges for lorries http://www.transportenvironment.org/News/2010/10/Transport-Council-approves-the-Eurovignette-for-TE-few-lights-and-many-shadows/

---