Adequate financing of transport infrastructure and the use of pricing and taxation instruments are central to achieving the economic, social and environmental goals of EU transport policy.
This is reflected in various European policy documents, most notably the Transport White Paper (EC, 2011a).
The EU has launched various research projects on financing of and charging for transport infrastructure under the Framework Programmes for Research and Innovation.
Considerable progress has been made in estimating transport costs, analysing acceptability and user responses, and the effects of infrastructure charging on the environment and the economy.
Nevertheless, various open issues and the need for further research in these areas have been indicated in these projects.