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Road charging

The EU has created a framework to encourage Member States to use taxation and transport infrastructure charging in the most effective and fair manner in order to promote the 'user pays' principle, important to maintain and develop the trans-European infrastructure network, and the 'polluter pays' principle, as enshrined in the treaties.

This framework contributes to the internalisation of the external costs related to road transport, such as those generated by the use of the infrastructure or its environmental and social impacts. With the internalisation of costs the EU aims as well at encouraging a more efficient use of transport infrastructures currently affected by congestion, reducing thus the time wasted on bottlenecks.

Road charging can also be a useful instrument to generate new sources of revenue to help develop Europe's vital infrastructure, as well as cleaner and less energy consuming modes of transport.

The rules

This section gives an overview of the different instruments at the disposal of the EU to promote these goals. These include vehicle and fuel taxation, road infrastructure charging, and the provision of financial aid to innovative projects such as those under the scheme NICHES.

Related documents

Legislation

Directive 2011/76/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 September 2011 amending Directive 1999/62/EC on the charging of heavy goods vehicles for the use of certain infrastructures

Directive 2006/38/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 May 2006 amending Directive 1999/62/EC on the charging of heavy goods vehicles for the use of certain infrastructures

Directive 1999/62/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 1999 on the charging of heavy goods vehicles for the use of certain infrastructures

Consolidated version of Directive 1999/62/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 1999 on the charging of heavy goods vehicles for the use of certain infrastructires (all languages)

Other references

Press Release: Road charging: Heavy lorries to pay for costs of air and noise pollution (7/06/2011) [IP/11/681]

Press Release: Road charging: Heavy lorries to pay for costs of air and noise pollution (6/06/2011) [MEMO/11/378]

Press Release: Road charging - Heavy lorries to pay for costs of air and noise pollution (15/10/2010) [IP/10/1341]

Press Release: Review of the Directive on charging Heavy Goods Vehicles – "Eurovignette Directive"- Questions and Answers [MEMO/10/489]

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 [COM(2008)436]

Impact assessment on the internalisation of external costs [SEC(2008) 2208]

Impacts of the proposal for amending Directive 1999/62/EC on road infrastructure charging: An analysis on selected corridors and main impacts (October 2009)

Internalisation measures and policy for the external cost of transport (June 2008) pdf - 2 MB [2 MB]

Road infrastructure cost and revenue in Europe (April 2008) pdf - 906 KB [906 KB]

Handbook on estimation of external costs in the transport sector (February 2008) pdf - 3 MB [3 MB]

Links

Studies on sustainable transport policies

NICHES (New and Innovative Concepts for Helping European transport Sustainability)

Greening transport package – moving transport further towards sustainability