- Title: German govt agrees plans for highway toll after deal with EU
- Date: 25th January 2017
- Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (JANUARY 25, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF GERMAN TRANSPORT MINISTRY GERMAN TRANSPORT MINISTER ALEXANDER DOBRINDT ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE PHOTOGRAPHER MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN TRANSPORT MINISTER ALEXANDER DOBRINDT, SAYING: "On the one hand we are spreading out the costs of the short-term vignettes. That means we are adapting the costs of the vignettes more closely as to how environmentally-friendly the car is. The spread of the costs is between 2.50 euros and 25 euros for a ten-day short-term vignette. Secondly: We will set the toll more strictly according to environmental criteria. We will unburden the environmentally-friendly vehicles of the Euro6 class of a volume of some 100 million euros additionally." JOURNALIST TAKING NOTES (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN TRANSPORT MINISTER ALEXANDER DOBRINDT, SAYING: "The income from the toll will be earmarked for the transport infrastructure. So in the long term the income of the tolls will be an investment into the transport infrastructure." JOURNALIST TAKING NOTES WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN TRANSPORT MINISTER ALEXANDER DOBRINDT, SAYING: "I plead to the Austrians to play fair. The Austrians have had a working toll system for the last 20 years. When Austria introduced the toll at the time, they decided on significant benefits for Austrian drivers. For example: the commuters flat-rate. We are doing nothing different today. The EU regulations are clear. There should not be any double burden as a result of a system change. And that is why it is right that we have provided a relief in the form of car taxes. The EU Commission also made clear on December 1 that our toll system conforms to European law. So more composure on the side of the Austrians would be good. It (the toll controversy) seems to be the result of a domestic debate in Austria whereby everyone that comes to Austria should contribute to financing the roads but Austrians should not have to pay in Germany. That is not a European approach." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS
- Embargoed: 8th February 2017 16:30
- Keywords: Motorway toll Austria EU Germany
- Location: MUNICH, PIDING, WALSERBERG + BERLIN, GERMANY
- City: MUNICH, PIDING, WALSERBERG + BERLIN, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Budget/Taxation/Revenue,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00160KUUYV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Germany's cabinet approved plans on Wednesday (January 25) to introduce a highway toll for cars after resolving a dispute with the European Commission that had said the planned charge would discriminate against foreign drivers.
Under the new plans, Germany will introduce a highway toll for cars registered abroad with prices linked to environmental criteria. Cars that pollute less will pay a lower rate. The maximum annual cost for a foreign vehicle would be 130 euros.
"I plead to the Austrians to play fair. The Austrians have had a working toll system for the last 20 years. When Austria introduced the toll at the time, they decided on significant benefits for Austrian drivers. For example: the commuters flat-rate. We are doing nothing different today. The EU regulations are clear. There should not be any double burden as a result of a system change. And that is why it is right that we have provided a relief in the form of car taxes," German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt said.
Vehicles registered in Germany will pay the toll but will get corresponding tax deductions which will decrease for less environmentally friendly cars.
The toll was championed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative allies in Bavaria.
German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the new system was a major change because it shifted financing of roads to the user.
The European Commission in Brussels had said the original plans, approved by the German parliament in 2015, were discriminatory and therefore violated EU rules. The two sides settled their differences last month.
The new charge will take effect after Germany's federal election in September. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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