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| EU neighbours set to take Germany to court over motorway tax | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A German plan to introduce a motorway tax for foreign cars has earned the wrath of other European Union members who have said they plan to challenge it in court. | A German plan to introduce a motorway tax for foreign cars has earned the wrath of other European Union members who have said they plan to challenge it in court. |
| The road charging system was approved by the Bundestag last year, but faced stiff opposition from the European commission which has called it discriminatory. | The road charging system was approved by the Bundestag last year, but faced stiff opposition from the European commission which has called it discriminatory. |
| Following an adjustment to the plans agreed in Brussels on Friday the toll is now set to be introduced for foreign-registered cars. Cars registered in Germany will also pay but receive refunds in the form of tax deductions. | Following an adjustment to the plans agreed in Brussels on Friday the toll is now set to be introduced for foreign-registered cars. Cars registered in Germany will also pay but receive refunds in the form of tax deductions. |
| Neighbouring countries have said the compromise deal continues to discriminate against non-German citizens. The governments of Austria and the Netherlands have said they are ready to take legal action against Germany, and Belgium and Denmark have said they are considering doing the same. | Neighbouring countries have said the compromise deal continues to discriminate against non-German citizens. The governments of Austria and the Netherlands have said they are ready to take legal action against Germany, and Belgium and Denmark have said they are considering doing the same. |
| “We will look very closely at this,” said Anton Heinzl, a spokesman for Austria’s Social Democrats (SPÖ). “If it turns out that Austrians are discriminated against, then we will fight this toll by all means and certainly with legal means.” | “We will look very closely at this,” said Anton Heinzl, a spokesman for Austria’s Social Democrats (SPÖ). “If it turns out that Austrians are discriminated against, then we will fight this toll by all means and certainly with legal means.” |
| The Dutch transport minister, Melanie Schultz van Haegen, said her government planned to take its case to the European court of justice, calling the plans “alarming”. | The Dutch transport minister, Melanie Schultz van Haegen, said her government planned to take its case to the European court of justice, calling the plans “alarming”. |
| “The only way to deal with these concerns is to prevent the introduction of the toll,” she said. | “The only way to deal with these concerns is to prevent the introduction of the toll,” she said. |
| Following the European commission’s disapproval, the scheme, which German policymakers have been working on for years, was revised to link the charge to environmental standards – so that fuel-efficient cars will pay less than those that are more polluting. | Following the European commission’s disapproval, the scheme, which German policymakers have been working on for years, was revised to link the charge to environmental standards – so that fuel-efficient cars will pay less than those that are more polluting. |
| The toll is due to be a minimum of €2.50 (£2.10) for a 10-day pass, and a maximum of €20. The annual cost will not exceed €130. Stickers on cars will indicate a driver has paid the tax, which some experts estimate will raise around €500m a year, though others have warned it may cost more to implement than it will bring in. | The toll is due to be a minimum of €2.50 (£2.10) for a 10-day pass, and a maximum of €20. The annual cost will not exceed €130. Stickers on cars will indicate a driver has paid the tax, which some experts estimate will raise around €500m a year, though others have warned it may cost more to implement than it will bring in. |
| Alexander Dobrindt, the German transport minister, said the toll was “fair and just” and would ensure that “all drivers contribute sufficiently to the financing of our motorways”. | Alexander Dobrindt, the German transport minister, said the toll was “fair and just” and would ensure that “all drivers contribute sufficiently to the financing of our motorways”. |
| The German autobahn network is one of the biggest in the world at just under 8,000 miles (13,000km). It is a magnet for car enthusiasts, thousands of whom visit Germany every year just to drive on the motorways and enjoy the many stretches with no speed limit. | The German autobahn network is one of the biggest in the world at just under 8,000 miles (13,000km). It is a magnet for car enthusiasts, thousands of whom visit Germany every year just to drive on the motorways and enjoy the many stretches with no speed limit. |
| The scheme – which comes on top of a lorry or heavy goods vehicle toll introduced in 2005 – has been a pet project of Dobrindt’s Christian Social Union (CSU) since the 2013 general election. It did not have the approval of the chancellor, Angela Merkel, who insisted it would not happen on her watch. | The scheme – which comes on top of a lorry or heavy goods vehicle toll introduced in 2005 – has been a pet project of Dobrindt’s Christian Social Union (CSU) since the 2013 general election. It did not have the approval of the chancellor, Angela Merkel, who insisted it would not happen on her watch. |
| Members of Merkel’s Christian Democrats, sister party to the CSU, along with the Social Democrats, partners in the grand coalition, have been highly critical of the plan. | Members of Merkel’s Christian Democrats, sister party to the CSU, along with the Social Democrats, partners in the grand coalition, have been highly critical of the plan. |
| Austria’s transport minister, Jörg Leichtfried, said the compromise was nothing more than trickery. “It’s just that they have managed to blur a little bit the discrimination against foreign drivers,” he said. | Austria’s transport minister, Jörg Leichtfried, said the compromise was nothing more than trickery. “It’s just that they have managed to blur a little bit the discrimination against foreign drivers,” he said. |
| Anton Hofreiter, head of the opposition Greens parliamentary group, said that if his party entered government after the next federal elections the toll would be scrapped. “If the Greens get into government the motorway tax would be way up there with the things we would seek to revoke,” he said. | Anton Hofreiter, head of the opposition Greens parliamentary group, said that if his party entered government after the next federal elections the toll would be scrapped. “If the Greens get into government the motorway tax would be way up there with the things we would seek to revoke,” he said. |
| Violeta Bulc, the EU commissioner for transport, said the infringement procedure launched against Germany for being in contravention of key EU treaties would now be dropped, after what she described as “intensive negotiations” that had been going on for months. | Violeta Bulc, the EU commissioner for transport, said the infringement procedure launched against Germany for being in contravention of key EU treaties would now be dropped, after what she described as “intensive negotiations” that had been going on for months. |
| “These changes mean there can no more be any doubt about possible disadvantage to foreigners,” she said after a meeting with Dobrindt. | “These changes mean there can no more be any doubt about possible disadvantage to foreigners,” she said after a meeting with Dobrindt. |
| The changes will have to be voted on in the Bundestag and the toll is not expected to be implemented until after next year’s general election. | The changes will have to be voted on in the Bundestag and the toll is not expected to be implemented until after next year’s general election. |