The EU is revising its road charging rules (Eurovignette directive) to address greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts, congestion and road infrastructure financing.

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The member states' ambassadors agreed on a negotiating mandate for the reform, which will include a new system of varying charges for heavy-duty vehicles based on CO2 emissions. The new scheme will promote the entry into the market of vehicles with lower emissions and help combat climate change in line with the European Green Deal.

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The Council mandate provides a toolbox for member states to levy charges for the use of roads in order to reduce pollution from transport, make traffic flow more smoothly and recover the costs of the construction, operation and maintenance of infrastructure.

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The scope of the rules will be extended from heavy goods vehicles only to other vehicles for which member states may wish to apply charges, such as buses, vans or passenger cars. Countries will have the possibility to apply tolls and user charges for each type of vehicle independently of each other. In addition, member states may provide for reduced toll rates or user charges, or exempt vehicles from the obligation to pay tolls or user charges under specific conditions.

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The main change compared to the current system will be the introduction of a new EU-wide tool for varying infrastructure and user charges with regard to heavy-duty vehicles based on CO2 emissions. The variation will be based on the existing CO2 standards. Initially, the scheme will only apply to the largest trucks, but it can gradually be extended to other types of heavy-duty vehicles and regularly adapted to technological progress through implementing acts.

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To incentivise the purchase of "best-in-class" vehicles, member states will be able to give preferential treatment to zero-emission vehicles.

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Member states may continue to apply the current charge variation based on EURO emission classes for the existing fleet. However, they will have to apply reduced charges based on CO2 emissions for new vehicles.

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Member states will have two years from the entry into force of the directive in which to incorporate the provisions into their national law.

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Source: Council of the EU