Article 7g F1
United Kingdom
Member States shall vary the infrastructure charge according to the EURO emission class of the vehicle in such a way that no infrastructure charge is more than 100 % above the same charge for equivalent vehicles meeting the strictest emission standards. Existing concession contracts are exempted from this requirement until the contract is renewed.
A Member State may nevertheless derogate from the requirement of varying the infrastructure charge if:
- (i)
this would seriously undermine the coherence of the tolling systems in its territory;
- (ii)
it would not be technically practicable to introduce such differentiation in the tolling system concerned;
- (iii)
this would lead to diversion of the most polluting vehicles with negative impacts on road safety and public health; or
- (iv)
the toll includes an external-cost charge.
Any such derogations or exemptions shall be notified to the Commission.
Where, in the event of a check, a driver or, if appropriate, the haulier, is unable to produce the vehicle documents necessary to ascertain the EURO emission class of the vehicle, Member States may apply tolls up to the highest level chargeable.
The infrastructure charge may also be varied for the purpose of reducing congestion, minimising infrastructure damage and optimising the use of the infrastructure concerned or promoting road safety, on condition that:
the variation is transparent, made public and available to all users on equal terms;
the variation is applied according to the time of day, type of day or season;
no infrastructure charge is more than 175 % above the maximum level of the weighted average infrastructure charge as referred to in Article 7b;
the peak periods during which the higher infrastructure charges are levied for the purpose of reducing congestion do not exceed five hours per day;
the variation is devised and applied in a transparent and revenue neutral way on a road section affected by congestion by offering reduced toll rates for hauliers who travel during off-peak periods and increased toll rates for hauliers who travel during peak hours on the same road section; and
a Member State wishing to introduce such variation or changing an existing one informs the Commission thereof and provides it with the information necessary to ensure that the conditions are fulfilled. Based on the information provided, the Commission shall make public and regularly update a list containing the periods and corresponding rates during which the variation is applied.
The variations referred to in paragraphs 1 and 3 are not designed to generate additional toll revenue. Any unintended increase in revenue shall be counterbalanced by changes to the structure of the variation which must be implemented within two years from the end of the accounting year in which the additional revenue is generated.