Mobility

EU transport ministers greenlight CO2-based toll charges for trucks

eu trucks tool co2 emissions

Photo: Schwoaze from Pixabay

Published

December 9, 2020

Country

Comments

comments icon

0

Share

Published:

December 9, 2020

Country:

Comments:

comments icon

0

Share

Hauliers with trucks that have lower emissions will pay lower tolls in the European Union as an incentive for reducing CO2 emissions and air pollution.

After more than three years of negotiations, the representatives of EU member states have agreed on new rules for tolls for heavy trucks based on the quantity of their emissions. The changes were proposed at the transport ministers’ meeting as part of a revision of road charging rules (Eurovignette directive).

Lorries account for 23% of EU road transport emisisons

Heavy goods vehicles are responsible for 23% of EU road transport emissions. The initiative to introduce CO2-based charging for lorries was launched in 2017.

Zero emission trucks should get at least a 50% discount on charges by April 2023 but the cut can be as high as 100% until the end of 2025

According to campaign group Transport & Environment (T&E), zero emission trucks, electrified or run on hydrogen, are set to get at least a 50% discount on charges by April 2023.

Countries can even give discounts of up to 100% for zero emission lorries, as is already the case in Germany, until the end of 2025. After 2025, countries can have discounts of between 50% and 75%, as is already the case in Austria, T&E said.

Annual tolling costs can reach up to EUR 25,000 per truck

The campaign group said annual tolling costs can reach up to EUR 25,000 per truck, or one quarter of the total cost of owning the vehicle.

New rules to help EU achieve CO₂ reduction targets for 2030 in road transport

According to the Council of the EU, the aim of the proposal is to address greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts, congestion and road infrastructure financing.

Andreas Scheuer, German Federal Minister for Transport and Digital Infrastructure and chair of the meeting, said updated road charging rules will play a key role in the EU’s efforts to make transport greener and more sustainable, and to achieve the CO₂ reduction targets for 2030 in road transport.

He expressed confidence that the council would adopt a position by the end of Germany’s EU presidency, which ends on December 31.

EU ambassadors are expected to seal the agreement on December 18 while negotiations between governments and the European Parliament on the final law are expected to begin in early 2021, T&E said.

Comments (0)

Be the first one to comment on this article.

Enter Your Comment
Please wait... Please fill in the required fields. There seems to be an error, please refresh the page and try again. Your comment has been sent.

Related Articles

Turkey major lithium producer geothermal wells

Turkey aims to become major lithium producer with its geothermal wells

21 April 2025 - Existing geothermal wells alone can enable Turkey to become one of the world's major producers of lithium, JESDER's chief Ufuk Şentürk said

bih sarajevo Register of Air Emissions and the Information System of Air Pollutants home fireplaces

Sarajevo rolls out fully digital system to track air-polluting emissions

18 April 2025 - The capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina has developed a register of air-polluting emissions and an information system to track pollutants.

Serbian Minister Mining Energy Dubravka Djedovic Dedović Handanovi Sara Pavkov environment

Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Đedović Handanović gets third mandate; Sara Pavkov takes over environment

16 April 2025 - Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Đedović Handanović started her third term while new Minister of Environmental Protection Sara Pavkov is the cabinet's youngest member

serbia wood pellets rulebook on solid biomass fuels

Serbia adopts first ever rulebook on standards for wood pellets

15 April 2025 - Serbia has adopted the rulebook on solid fuels from wood biomass, which for the first time regulates the quality of pellets and briquettes