- Title: Germany and EU close to compromise over road toll - German transport minister
- Date: 4th November 2016
- Summary: MUNICH, GERMANY (FILE - AUGUST 2, 2013) VARIOUS OF TRUCKS AND CARS ON HIGHWAY PIDING, GERMANY (BORDER CROSSING TO AUSTRIA) (FILE - NOVEMBER 19, 2013) (REUTERS) SELLING POINT FOR VIGNETTES SIGN AT ENTRANCE TO VIGNETTE-SELLING POINT MAN WALKING TOWARD SELLING POINT VARIOUS OF MAN BUYING VIGNETTE MAN OPENING CAR AN PLACING VIGNETTE BEHIND CAR WINDOW
- Embargoed: 19th November 2016 13:47
- Keywords: road toll Germany transport minister Dobrindt EU
- Location: MUNICH & COLOGNE, GERMANY
- City: MUNICH & COLOGNE, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00257153YF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:The German government and the European Commission are about to come to agreement over the controversial road toll for German highways, German transport minister Alexander Dobrindt confirmed on Friday (November 4).
"We are in close and confidential talks with the EU Commission over the road toll. EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has played a strong part finding a common solution. We come closer to each other and we are confident about coming to an agreement in the course of this month. We will stick to no additional burden for domestic drivers, but we would like to strengthen the ecological side of it," Dobrindt told reporters on Friday as he arrived for the Christian Social Union (CSU) party convention in Munich.
"We are thinking about changes with the short-term vignettes, so that it could come to a compromise, which would be within the framework of the government coalition and therefore can be accepted by everyone."
Cheaper short-term vignettes, which would especially appeal to foreign drivers, and rewards for environment-friendly cars are two of the changes Germany's transport ministry promised to apply in order to settle the dispute over the road charge system.
At the end of September the European Commission had referred Germany to the European Court of Justice over the planned road toll, saying that it discriminates against foreign drivers.
Germany's parliament approved a law last year to introduce a road charging system that would have granted vehicles registered in Germany a corresponding deduction from their annual vehicle tax.
The system was set to have started this year but was postponed after Brussels challenged it on the grounds that that foreign drivers would have to pay the toll with no compensation.
The Commission said that an EU country was free to introduce road charges for goods vehicles and passenger cars, but, if it wanted foreigners to pay, then the charges must apply to all. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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