Surprisingly decision: Now it costs to run south Germany's plan to collect money from foreigners who want to use their roads are surprisingly been approved by the EU. FDM is worried (FDM = association of Danish vehicle owners)
By: Sara Refsgaard Jensen
The Germans have been given the green light to introduce their duty 'Maut', although it initially was declared unlawful by the EU. Now the commission has however changed attitude, writes FDM .
EU transport Commissioner Violeta Belc, at a meeting with German Transport Minister, Alexander Dubrindt, approved the introduction of 'Maut', where all revenues in return be spent on improving infrastructure.
Maut will mainly bother foreigners who will use German roads. It will therefore hit the Danes going south by car.
Pay by car type , it is still unknown when we should expect to pay fees to avail ourselves of the Autobahn, but one sure thing is that the price will depend on how environmentally friendly your car is. It looks like a similar bill in Sweden, where you will only be able to run in certain urban areas, or if your car is environmentally friendly enough .
The tax is payable through a scheme where you pay 10 days, a month or for a whole year.
It only affects foreign drivers, which is what initially made the EU rejected the proposal. The toll will actually be offset against the Germans' own registration tax. It also gets the Dutch Minister of Transport to warn that they will take the case to the European Court of Justice.
FDM is also unhappy with the charges.
The fact that the EU Commission apparently changed his mind and now has approved the German Maut, puzzled and annoyed us. But it does not change that in FDM continues to believe that it violates the principle of free movement. As we have previously pointed out, foreign drivers are already pay more than twice as much in fuel taxes, their toil on German roads costs, says Department of FDM, Torben Lund coachman to FDM News.
We might be concerned that other countries will now follow Germany's example and demand additional payment for travel on roads. Although a report from the automobile club umbrella organization FIA, recently documented that European motorists already pay far more in taxes than their wear and tear on roads justifies, he explains.
(FDM = Association of Danish vehicle owners)