- Title: German Bundesrat gives controversial road toll green light
- Date: 31st March 2017
- Summary: HIGHWAY A8 NEAR HOLZKIRCHEN, GERMANY (FILE - JULY 30, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TRAFFIC ON HIGHWAY BERLIN, GERMANY (FILE - NOVEMBER 3, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ROAD TOLL STICKERS ON CAR WINDOWS PIDING, WALSERBERG, GERMANY; BORDER CROSSING TO AUSTRIA (FILE - NOVEMBER 6, 2013) (REUTERS) SIGN FOR ROAD TOLL STICKERS SELLING POINT MAN WALKING INTO TO SELLING POINT VARIOUS OF MAN BUYING ROAD TOLL STICKER
- Embargoed: 14th April 2017 11:20
- Keywords: road toll Dobrindt Bundesrat Austria legal challenge
- Location: BERLIN, GERMANY
- City: BERLIN, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0026AAJ32F
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Germany's Bundesrat, the upper house of parliament, agreed on Friday (March 31) to introduce a road toll for cars registered abroad with prices linked to environmental criteria.
The German Bundestag, the lower house of parliament, originally approved a road charging system in 2015 that would have hit only foreign drivers, but the plan was kept on hold after the European Commission complained it would have been discriminatory and against EU rules.
The Commission, however, cleared the way for the draft law after some changes were made that would benefit foreigners on short journeys and those driving more environmentally friendly cars.
The German government expects the toll - a pet project of Bavaria's Christian Social Union (CSU) party - to generate around 500 million euros ($540 million) per year in revenues from foreigners.
Austria will file a legal challenge against a planned German highway toll, the country's Transport Minister Joerg Leichtfried said on Friday shortly after the plan passed the Bundesrat.
The toll will cost vehicles up to 130 euros ($139) but Germans will be able to recover the cost through tax deductions. Austria says that is discriminatory. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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