The European Commission’s Mobility Package includes a proposal to amend Directive 1999/62/EC, which aims to supplant national road charging schemes and deliver funding to the road transport network.

FIA Region I has commissioned two extensive studies to evaluate the need for such a proposal. Firstly, we examined the tax revenue from road users versus the expenditure on road infrastructure. This study discovered a surplus of €107.9 billion. Road transport tax revenue currently covers the investment that governments are making into their road networks. It is the responsibility of  member states to prioritise investment in the road network and use the revenue already being generated. The study further proved that the pay-per-use model is already being imposed on road users in the form of current taxation and road charging.

The second study was a legal analysis, which concluded that the European Commission does not have a sufficiently strong legal basis to justify an extension of the Eurovignette to passenger cars. Member states are in the best position to decide upon national charging systems for passenger cars. The Commission’s objectives, a well-funded and sustainable transport network for citizens, can be more effectively achieved by member state taxation and charging policies. A uniform system on passenger car road charging will not give added value to Europeans.

Before introducing road pricing measures, additional methods should have been considered, such as incentives for investment in road infrastructure. There is no certainty that the Eurovignette will ensure sufficient funding for road infrastructure investment and maintenance as member states may use the revenue from road taxes to fund other projects.

Learn more about the road user tax revenue vs expenditure into the European road network