- Title: Germany and EU close to compromise over road toll - German transport minister
- Date: 4th November 2016
- Summary: MUNICH, GERMANY (NOVEMBER 4, 2016) (REUTERS) GERMAN TRANSPORT MINISTER ALEXANDER DOBRINDT ARRIVING FOR CHRISTIAN SOCIAL UNION (CSU) PARTY CONVENT CAMERAS DOBRINDT WALKING BY DOBRINDT SPEAKING TO REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN TRANSPORT MINISTER, ALEXANDER DOBRINDT, SAYING: "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. 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." CSU LOGO DOBRINDT SPEAKING TO REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN TRANSPORT MINISTER, ALEXANDER DOBRINDT, SAYING: "The current law takes special consideration of the border region, especially for foreign drivers, who are still freed from road tolls at federal roads. The road toll would apply to highways, so the border regions are being considered especially. So we don't expect any problems there." MEDIA COLOGNE, GERMANY (NOVEMBER 4, 2016) (REUTERS) GAS STATION CARS BEING FILLED AT PETROL STATION (SOUNDBITE) (German) CAR DRIVER, ZEKI CILEK, SAYING: "Okay, but we are paying enough taxes. Everywhere, at every corner. And then there is the road toll to be added. What do I know where the money is going to, the insurance's, the taxes. This is real exploitation." (SOUNDBITE) (German) CAR DRIVER, GREGOR KRUECKEMEIER, SAYING: "I like it as long as I have to pay in Austria, Switzerland and the Czech Republic, they are also going to pay, great, this is a certain compensation. Even better would be free driving, but this doesn't exist." Therefore we compensate that." MIRROR AT PETROL STATION EXTERIOR OF ADAC CAR CLUB HEADQUARTERS WITH PAN DOWN TO YELLOW ADAC CUBUS IN FRONT OF BUILDING ADAC CAR CLUB OFFICIAL ROMAN SUTHOLD WALKING OUT OF BUILDING (SOUNDBITE) (German) ADAC CAR CLUB OFFICIAL, ROMAN SUTHOLD, SAYING: "From the view of the ADAC there must not be an additional burden for drivers. There also shouldn't be unequal treatment of European drivers in general and the funds, which are being earned on top, have to go back into the transportation sector in any case." ADAC CUBUS
- 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: LVA00157153YF
- 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: REUTERS
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