4.3.2022
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
L 69/5
(26)
In order to reward the best performing heavy-duty vehicles, Member States should be allowed to apply the highest level of reductions in charges to vehicles operated without tailpipe emissions.
To further promote the rollout of zero-emission vehicles, Member States should be allowed to temporarily exempt them from road charges.
For the same reasons and to ensure that the share of vehicles benefitting from toll reduction remains stable throughout the years, guaranteeing long-term planning certainty for Member States in terms of toll revenue, new vehicles should be allocated to CO2 emission classes based on their performance against the linear emission reduction trajectory between 2021 and 2030, as defined in Regulation (EU) 2019/1242.
(27)
In order to ensure the effectiveness and coherence of the variation of charges according to CO2 emissions and of external-cost charging for CO2 emissions, which are both meant to unlock the deployment of low- and zeroemission vehicles, as well as to ensure a coherent application of Directive 1999/62/EC with any other carbonpricing instrument related to road transport that is adopted in the future, the Commission should evaluate their effectiveness and necessity in a timely manner.
Based on that evaluation, the Commission should, where appropriate, propose the amendment of provisions on variation of charges according to CO2 emissions and of external-cost charging for CO2 emissions, in order to prevent double charging through different carbon-pricing instruments.
While the future measure should ensure legal certainty and the coherent application of the different rules, this Directive should clarify that the Member States should not be obliged to apply the CO2 variation system provided for in this Directive beyond the date of application of another carbon-pricing instrument applicable to road transport, that might be adopted at Union level, for example on the basis of the proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2003/87/EC, Decision (EU) 2015/1814 and Regulation (EU) 2015/757 [2021/0211(COD)].
In the event that another carbon-pricing instrument applicable to road transport is adopted in the meantime, the level of external-cost charges for CO2 emissions should be limited to what is necessary to internalise those external costs, and the Commission should be empowered to adjust, by means of delegated acts, the reference values set out in Annex IIIc.
(28)
To help safeguard the Union’s automobile heritage, Member States should be able to place vehicles of historical interest in a special category for the purposes of adjusting the various charges payable under this Directive.
(29)
Currently, Regulation (EU) 2019/1242 does not define emission reduction trajectories for groups of heavy-duty vehicles not covered by Article 2(1), points (a) to (d), of that Regulation.
In light of its Article 15, it is possible that that Regulation will be amended in the future and that emission reduction trajectories will be defined for such groups of vehicles.
If such an amendment is adopted, the variation of infrastructure charges and user charges for heavy-duty vehicles according to CO2 emission classes 2 and 3 should apply also to those groups of vehicles.
If such an amendment is not adopted, the variation for those groups of vehicles should only be made for CO2 emission classes 1, 4 and 5.
(30)
The Commission should consider proposing, where appropriate, an amendment to Directive 1999/62/EC introducing CO2 emission classes 2 and 3 for all heavy-duty vehicles following the principles applied for heavy-duty vehicles currently regulated by Regulation (EU) 2019/1242 for their CO2 emissions if the scope of that Regulation is extended to other heavy-duty vehicles.
(31)
This Directive should promote the reduction of CO2 emissions through technical improvements of combinations of heavy goods motor vehicles and their trailers and semi-trailers.
Therefore, this Directive provides for a reduction of road charges of heavy goods motor vehicles with low CO2 emissions.
For full regulatory consistency, once legally certified values for the effect of trailers and semi-trailers on the CO2 emissions of heavy goods vehicle combinations are available, the Commission should, where appropriate, submit a legislative proposal to amend Directive 1999/62/EC to include such certified values when determining the reduction of road charges provided for by this Directive.
(32)
In order to continue to promote the renewal of the fleet and to avoid the distortion of the second-hand market of heavy-duty vehicles, the classification of vehicles belonging to CO2 emission classes 2 and 3 should be reassessed every six years from their first registration.
In order to minimise the administrative burden, the validity of user charges valid before the date of reclassification should not be affected.