Guidelines for Motor Vehicle Vignettes (Communication)

Dr. Götz Reichert, LL.M.

In lack of EU rules on the application of national road infrastructure charges levied on light private vehicles, Member States are free to introduce national vignette and toll systems. The Commission wishes to clarify by means of guidelines how Member States could shape their vignette systems for light private vehicles to be in line with EU law. It calls, in particular, for the introduction of short-term vignettes to prevent the discrimination against drivers from other Member States.

cepPolicyBrief

Road charges can contribute to the financing of transport infrastructure and help internalize external costs. A national vignette system must therefore allow foreign drivers of light private vehicles who use the charged roads only occasionally to buy a short-term vignette. The principle of proportionality requires that short-term vignettes are offered at appropriate rates.

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Guidelines for Motor Vehicle Vignettes COM(2012) 199 (publ. 06.23.2014)	PDF	85 KB	Download