From December 1, 2023, Germany was the first EU country to increase road toll rates. This is a response to the EU regulations of 2022. The deadline for implementing the regulations by Member States by March 2024 makes our western neighbors a pioneer in adapting to the new policy. Hungary and Austria also decided to raise prices. What impact do these changes have on the transport industry?
- In addition to doubling the rates for Euro VI trucks, the increases will also apply to owners of vehicles powered by ecological gas – CNG and LNG.
- Electric vehicles will also be subject to fees, even though they are ecological. Leaving fees for electricians is controversial, especially in the context of the fight against CO emissions2.
- As the infrastructure enabling the use of zero-emission vehicles is developed, legislative changes are expected to promote ecological solutions in transport. One of them concerns counting CO emissions2 and other gases for individual vehicles.
In October 2023, the German Federal Parliament will respond to the growing challenges related to CO2 emissions2, was the first to adopt an innovative road pricing plan. The new regulations assume the introduction of a double rate for trucks with a Euro 6 engine.
These fees are linked to CO emissions2. The first part is based on CO efficiency2 a given vehicle, i.e. the amount of carbon dioxide emitted in relation to its efficiency. The second one takes into account additional external costs related to CO emissions2including impacts on the environment and public health.
The increases will apply to owners of CNG, LNG and electric vehicles
In addition to doubling the rates for Euro VI trucks, the increases will also apply to owners of vehicles powered by ecological gas – CNG and LNG. Electric vehicles will also be subject to fees, even though they are ecological. Leaving fees for electricians is controversial, especially in the context of the fight against CO emissions2.
Why should electric vehicles also be charged fees – especially if the costs of purchasing this type of car are much higher? Investing in electric vehicles was supposed to help avoid additional fees. And finally, where does such a drastic increase in the case of combustion vehicles come from? These important questions require deep discussion. – says Maciej Maroszyk, operational director of TC Law Firm.
Additional challenges for electromobility
Last year’s end of subsidies for electric cars in Germany resulted in a significant decline in interest in these vehicles. And although there is no problem with availability today, this state of affairs may change rapidly.
An expert from TC Law Firm indicates that if we do not start replacing the vehicle fleet quickly, we may face a shortage of vehicles later.
Another difficulty is the constant lack of progress in developing infrastructure for electric vehicles in Poland. This is despite the fact that our road network is relatively new and considered one of the best in Europe – explains the operational director of TC Law Firm.
How will emissions be counted for the transport sector?
As the infrastructure enabling the use of zero-emission vehicles is developed, legislative changes are expected to promote ecological solutions in transport. One of them concerns counting CO emissions2 and other gases for individual vehicles.
Counting emissions in the transport sector is an important future step towards sustainable development. For this reason, the IRU welcomed the Council’s agreement on a well-to-wheel approach. However, there are some uncertainties, particularly regarding the treatment of subcontracting and practices common in road transport. Additionally, there is also uncertainty regarding the costs and bureaucracy that these new calculations may impose on transport operators. The CountEmissions EU proposal, part of the European Commission’s “green freight package”, aims to introduce a common EU framework for calculating and disclosing greenhouse gas emissions from passenger and freight transport. We are pleased that the Council supported the Commission’s approach and adapted the CountEmissions EU proposal to the ISO 14083 standard, which is already in operation and offers a calculation methodology based on well-to-wheel – explains the operational director of TC Law Firm.
Road toll increases across the European Union by 2025
Road tolls must increase throughout the European Union by 2025. Unfortunately, if the deadline for implementing the new regulations is too short, transport companies will face significant challenges.
Increasing road tolls in such a short period of time creates difficulties, especially for transport operators, who must adapt their existing contracts, which only contain fuel clauses, to the new rates.
Toll increases may also affect retail prices, both in Germany and abroad. Therefore, it is worth it for additional Member States to provide appropriate time to implement higher road toll rates, enabling the transport, forwarding and logistics industries to adapt to the new situation.
Will road toll increases affect TSL?
Changes to road tolls introduce a new reality for the transport industry. The increases will be most felt by carriers who will be responsible for paying these amounts.
Effective management of funds obtained from road tolls will also be a challenge. Aligning charging systems with new environmental standards was intended to encourage further innovation in the field of clean transport, while ensuring sustainable and efficient financing of transport infrastructure.
In the context of road tolls, new justifications for their possible increase will appear in the coming years. These changes may result from various factors, such as the rising costs of maintaining road infrastructure, the need to finance modernization projects or the pursuit of sustainable transport development. Monitoring these evolutions will become important for understanding the direction in which road toll policy is heading and adapting to possible new challenges for the transport industry – summarizes Maciej Maroszyk from TC Law Firm.
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