EU mandates that lorry road user charges will reflect emissions
Thu 15 December 2005
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The EU has cleared new rules for charging lorries for using Europe's main motorways. The rules will require that - from 2010 - all EU states must vary charges according to their Euro emissions class.
From 2012 charging will apply to vehicles over 3.5 tonnes rather than 12 tonnes, which is the current limit.
The European Parliament also won a clause requiring the European Commission to present a "model" for calculating all external costs "to serve as the basis for future calculations of infrastructure charges" within two years. (As reported by ENDS.)
The European transport and environmental organisation T&E was critical of the outcome of the European Parliament saying that it will prevent member states from including environmental and health costs in lorry road charges for several years.
Related Links
European Commission press release (in French)
ENDS story link
T&E news release link
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