| Author (Corporate) | Cardiff EDC (Compiler) |
|---|---|
| Publication Date | 2013- |
| Content Type | News, Overview |
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Summary: Reports, analyses and information on a German legislative initiative which introduced road charges for those using German motorways, but also provided for a tax relief to German car owners in the amount of that infrastructure charge. Further information: A proposal to impose road tolls on foreign car drivers emerged as an issue ahead of the federal elections held in Germany in September 2013. The idea was put forward by Bavaria's CDU sister party (CSU) and was met with criticism by the European Commission, which stated such a toll would be rejected as discriminatory. CSU party made the issue a necessary requisite to any post-electoral coalition agreement. The agreement signed by coalition partners in Germany following the election included a road tax for cars through vignettes. Plans for an 'infrastructure fee' (Pkw-Maut) were unveiled on 7 July 2014, which would make vignettes for drivers compulsory. German car owners would received them in the mail and its price would be deducted from the vehicle taxes, but foreign drivers would have to buy a vignette. The plan was criticised by neighbouring countries, driver groups and lawmakers within the governing majority in Germany. There were also concerns over whether such a charge would comply with EU law, as it could be interpreted as discriminating against foreigners. Despite disagreement within the cabinet, the proposals - one introducing the vignette system and another proposing the vehicle tax offset - were first launched on 30 October and later approved by cabinet on 17 December. Parliamentary debate led to changes in the initial proposals, particularly concerning the prices of short-term vignettes. It was eventually approved by lower house of Parliament on 27 March 2015 and formally adopted on 8 June. On 18 June, the European Commission announced the opening of an infringement procedure against Germany over the introduction of the 'PKW-Maut' road charging scheme, over fears of indirect discrimination based on nationality. The scheme - originally thought to be launched in early 2016 - was postponed due to disagreements. The Commission requsted further details on the subject from German authorities in December 2015. The infringement procedure was closed by the Commission on 17 May 2017, following the adoption by the German government in March of amendments to the rules of the charging scheme. As a result, Austria brought in November 2017 an infringement action against Germany before the Court of Justice of the European Union over this scheme. |
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| Subject Categories | Mobility and Transport |
| Subject Tags | Transport Infrastructure |
| Keywords | Roads |
| Countries / Regions | Germany |
