Although the application of tolls and vignettes is not mandatory for Member States, the Directive lays down certain rules to be followed by those Member States that wish to levy such charges. The most important of these framework conditions are:
Tolls must be levied according to the distance travelled and the type of vehicle; vignettes are scaled according to the duration of the use made of the infrastructure and to the vehicle's emission class;
The directive does not permit to impose tolls and vignettes at the same time for the use of a single road section. Only as an exception can tolls be levied for the use of bridges, tunnels and mountain passes on networks where vignettes are applied;
National tolls and vignettes must be non-discriminatory, excessive rebates on tolls are forbidden;
Charging schemes should cause as little hindrance as possible to the free flow of traffic, avoiding mandatory checks at the EU’s internal borders;
The Directive also stipulates that the maximum average tolls must be set in relation to the costs of constructing, operating and developing the infrastructure concerned. New tolling schemes must be notified;
Tolls may also include an "external cost charge" which reflects the cost of air pollution and of noise pollution provided that the external cost charges respect maximum values defined in the annex of the Directive;
The revenue should preferably be used to develop the trans-European network.
A specific provision of the directive allows Member States to co-operate for the purpose of introducing a common system of electronic vignettes. In this respect Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Sweden have a common system of user charges for heavy goods vehicles above 12 tonnes called the 'Eurovignette' system . This system allows hauliers after the payment of a specified amount to use motorways of the participating Member States for a given period (i.e. a day, a week, a month or a year). Each participating country is responsible for all aspects related to the payment of the Eurovignette on its own territory.
The internalisation of the external costs of road transport is also subject to the Directive 2011/76/EU amending Directive 1999/62/EC on the charging of heavy goods vehicles for the use of certain infrastructures.
Legislation
Directive 2006/38/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 May 2006 amending Directive 1999/62/EC on the charging of heavy goods vehicles for the use of certain infrastructures
Directive 1999/62/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 1999 on the charging of heavy goods vehicles for the use of certain infrastructures
Directive 2011/76/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 September 2011 amending Directive 1999/62/EC on the charging of heavy goods vehicles for the use of certain infrastructures
Policy and other related documents
Commission staff working document: Ex-post evaluation of Directive 1999/62/EC, as amended, on the charging of heavy goods vehicles for the use of certain infrastructures [SWD(2013)1] [285 KB]
Press release: Road charging: Heavy lorries to pay for costs of air and noise pollution (15/10/2010) [IP/10/1341]
Press release: Review of the Directive on charging Heavy Goods Vehicles – "Eurovignette Directive"- Questions and Answers (13/10/2010) [MEMO/10/489]
Road
Road Safety
Rules governing access to the profession
Haulage
Passenger transport
Road charging
Road Infrastructure Charging - Heavy Goods Vehicles
Road Infrastructure Charging - Private Vehicles
Technical rules on electronic tolling
Annual vehicle taxation
Fuel taxation
Social provisions
Weights and dimensions
Parking areas
Non EU-countries
Links
Studies