The European Commission has unveiled a new proposal on EU tolling rules but underlines that fair and balanced implementation is vital to ensure decarbonisation goals do not come at the expense of road transport operators’ competitiveness and Europe’s supply chains.

The European Commission has presented an amended proposal to refine the Eurovignette Directive. The update aims to improve legal clarity and align the directive with recent developments in CO₂ emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers, while leaving its original objectives largely unchanged.

However, the proposal consolidates a rigid system by linking toll variation solely to CO₂ parameters. This approach ignores low-carbon and CO₂-neutral fuel alternatives, penalises operators investing in retrofit, dual-fuel and vocational vehicles, and leaves long-standing issues unresolved, such as the treatment of trailers under VECTO, according to the International Road transport Union (IRU).

IRU EU Director Raluca Marian said: “This is presented as a simplification exercise, but in reality, it reinforces a rigid system. Toll variation remains locked to CO₂ parameters, with no recognition of low-carbon or CO₂-neutral fuel alternatives.”

“The new classification rules for retrofit, dual-fuel and vocational vehicles remove flexibility and penalise operators investing in non-electric solutions. Crucially, key shortcomings of the Eurovignette remain unaddressed,” she added.

The IRU claims that the revised proposal largely repackages the previous version (COM(2023)189) without fixing its core shortcomings. It still leaves open questions on how trailers and semi-trailers will be classified, particularly on VECTO application dates and CO₂ standards for first registrations.

It also misses the opportunity to bring more funding opportunities to road transport by earmarking CO₂-related revenues and ensuring that these funds are reinvested in helping operators decarbonise, at least for a defined period.

EU legislators must seize this chance to build a tolling system that is fair, flexible and fit for the future. One that supports every viable path to decarbonisation and works for the businesses keeping Europe’s goods and people moving.