European motorists deserve a #BetterDeal
EU Governments generated a surplus of €107.9 billion on road transport taxes in 2013. Road transport generated €286.3 billion in national taxes and charges, governments only re-invested a €178.4 billion into the road network.
The results of a study commissioned by FIA Region I show that there is a €107.9 billion surplus revenue in the EU in road transport taxes. €286.3 billion was collected in road transport taxes and charges in the EU excluding Cyprus in 2013. In that same year, governments only re-invested €178.4 billion into the road network. Passenger car drivers, alone, contributed 71% of this amount, for a total €205.8 billion. While the revenue from road transport amounted to 2 – 3% of national Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the expenditure of governments averaged only 0.8% of GDP. In addition to covering the costs that road networks require, road taxes and charges are reinvested in society at large and could also be used to tackle the social costs of road transport. As the European Commission considers enabling additional charges to fund infrastructure and manage road use, FIA Region I calls for a re-examination of the revenue that is already generated before road users are burdened with new or increased charges on their daily mobility.
Thierry Willemarck, FIA Region I President, said: “European motorists make a significant contribution to public budgets, far beyond the revenue needed to cover the costs of the road network. This should be acknowledged and their investment used to ensure a safe road network that sufficiently supports the needs of daily commuters.”
Violeta Bulc, European Commissioner for Transport, said: “It is clear that the road network needs upgrading and more investment. The European Commission will be carrying out a case study on road taxes and charges. We will examine the FIA’s results and build on its conclusions to ensure that road users are fairly charged in a transparent manner. Our aim is to create a level playing field, which supports interoperability and multimodal use of the transport network.”
Wim van de Camp, MEP, said: “The quality of our road infrastructure affects safety, comfort and sustainability. If we want a user-pays system, what a user pays needs to be reinvested wholly into what is used.”
The results of the study were launched on 8 November 2016 in Brussels at an event hosted by Wim van de Camp with policymakers, journalists and stakeholders present.
