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Members raise concern over German plans to introduce a road toll

Date

16 Mar 2017

Sections

Transport

The European Parliament has today adopted a resolution on the planned German road toll system that in its original form would have allowed German drivers to deduct whatever they paid in road tolls from their vehicle tax bills.

Members have called on the Commission to reveal all details of the back-room deals made between Jean-Claude Juncker and the office of Alexander Dobrindt, German Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure.

ECR shadow rapporteur and transport coordinator Roberts Zīle argues that even the revised system discriminates on the basis of nationality and questions why the Commission has put its infringement procedure on hold. Either the Commission was wrong, Germany has significantly improved its plan (and there is no evidence of either) or the step has been taken for political reasons. if it is the latter, it is not acceptable. 

The resolution stresses that primarily charging foreign users, which German politicians admit is the plan's objective, constitutes a violation of the non-discrimination principle enshrined in the EU law.

The Parliament also emphasises that the introduction of national road charging systems should not hinder the market access, growth, competitiveness and flexibility of transport and cross-border operators in the EU. Instead such systems should further the development and integrity of the European single market.

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Contact Karlis Bumeisters
karlis.bumeisters@europarl.europa.eu
Mobile +32 473 52 77 04 

The ECR was created to take the EU in a new direction, according to the principles of our founding Prague Declaration. It is the third largest group in the European Parliament with 74 MEPs from 18 EU states.

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