Dutch to level EU protest against German toll plan

A petition with almost 45,000 signatures will be submitted to the European Parliament on 2 September by the Royal Dutch Touring Club (ANWB) in protest at a proposed German road toll that will fall primarily on foreign drivers. The Dutch Club is urging the European Parliament to get involved and address the question of discrimination against international motorists. The ANWB will be represented by their President, Frits van Bruggen, and the European Parliament will be represented by Dutch MEP, Wim van de
August 28, 2014 Read time: 2 mins

A petition with almost 45,000 signatures will be submitted to the European Parliament on 2 September by the Royal Dutch Touring Club (481 ANWB) in protest at a proposed German road toll that will fall primarily on foreign drivers.

The Dutch Club is urging the European Parliament to get involved and address the question of discrimination against international motorists. The ANWB will be represented by their President, Frits van Bruggen, and the European Parliament will be represented by Dutch MEP, Wim van de Camp.

According to the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the German government’s new road tax, a toll to fund road infrastructure, provides compensation to Germans, thereby exempting German nationals from the obligation to pay. If implemented, this means that foreign drivers will be financing the expansion and maintenance of German roads, a policy that is clearly discriminating against non-German road users and that is in conflict with the key EU principle of non-discrimination.

Charging, Tolling & RUC

Related Content

  • April 25, 2017
    EU proposing toll charges based on CO2 emissions
    The European Commission is aiming to cut road transport’s CO2 emissions and is proposing to introduce toll charges based on a vehicle’s emissions, according to Reuters. The proposal, which is expected to be published at the end of May, will also include buses and coaches as well as a requirement for motorists to pay according to the distance travelled. The proposal will keep the average level of tolls collected roughly constant, meaning more polluting vehicles will pay more while cleaner ones will pay less.
    Read More
  • May 5, 2021
    ‘Shining moment of opportunity for tolling’
    Climate change is already affecting tolling operations in many parts of the world. IBTTA’s Bill Cramer explains how the sector can be seen as a proven funding and financing mechanism for surface transportation
    Read More
  • June 14, 2018
    Road pricing is inevitable – because the ‘user pays’ principle is fair
    We pay for roads through our taxes: the poor pay proportionately more, and effectively subsidise the rich. It would be fairer to accept the ‘user pays’ principle, says Dr John Walker. Road pricing is already used worldwide to combat congestion and pollution, to compensate for falling revenues from fuel duty (‘gas tax’), to provide an alternative (and fairer) means of charging motorists than the 80-year old fuel tax and to improve the efficiency of and expand transport infrastructure. However, it could and s
    Read More
  • February 1, 2012
    Infrastructure funding and road user charging – debate continues
    Jack Opiola provides an overview of the ongoing debate over US infrastructure funding and the progress – or lack of it – towards vehicles miles travelled road user charging. The future funding of transportation and mobility infrastructure is attracting increased attention. There has been sharp debate in the US, where landmark reports from the National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission and the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission both stated that the cu
    Read More

Highlighted Content