Germany: adoption of a controversial project to automobile toll
Frankfurt – The German parliament on Friday adopted a draft maligned automobile toll, which will penalize first foreign users and against which Brussels several neighboring Germany already ranting.
The Bundesrat, the upper house of Parliament gave its green light to the text already approved by the Bundestag (lower house) and plans to establish power in 2016 on German motorways and national roads an annual vignette, the amount, defined by the age of the car, engine displacement and certain environmental criteria, can reach 130 euros.
This project was the workhorse of the CSU, Bavarian sister smaller of the Conservative party of Angela Merkel and member of the ruling coalition. The CSU had dangled his voters the introduction of a toll for foreigners promise carrier in a region where many people pay to use highways of neighboring Austria and Switzerland.
Since tolls applicable to foreigners only contravene European rules, the successful project is that of an electronic vignette payable by all. But to ensure that foreigners will actually be the only ones to pay more, the tax which already fulfills every car owner in Germany shall be reduced to avoid a double charge.
Foreign motorists must pay for 5, 10 or 15 euros for a vignette valid ten days, and 16 to 30 euros for a vignette valid two months.
For the while, in Germany, only heavy vehicles pay a toll.
The toll (automotive) ensures the long-term development of our infrastructure, defended before the Bundesrat Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt, according to which the mechanism must bring an additional EUR 500 million per year.
Even before its adoption, the draft was the subject of much criticism from neighboring countries, including Austria, the Netherlands and France where Alsace and Lorraine have many Border but also of the European Commission, which is concerned about discrimination against foreign drivers.
Germany is the first tourist destination of the Dutch. They spend money, especially on fuel, and thus already contributing to the costs of the road network, pleaded Friday Ad Vonk, spokesman of the Dutch Federation of Tourism (ANWB).
This project penalizes Dutch, lamented in a statement the Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and Environment, responsible for transport, Melanie Schultz van Haegen.
We expect firm foot the reaction of the Commissioner (for Transport Violeta) Bulc. His position is important for the action that we can take together with other neighboring countries of Germany, to prevent the creation of this toll, she added.
Netherlands should be able to count on the support of Austria, which still considers the German decision is contrary to European law, according to a spokesman for the Austrian Ministry of Transport. Once the law is enacted in Germany in June or July, we will take a complaint with the European Commission, which will have three months to respond, she told AFP.
According to a working document of the European Commission consulted by the German daily Die Welt, experts deem ineffective thumbnails in so far as they are not linked to the number of kilometers traveled, and criticize the discriminatory nature of the German project.
(© AFP / May 8, 2015 3:40 p.m.)
(AFP / 05/08/2015 3:42 p.m.) ->
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