# German Toll Charge



## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

The German parliament passed Friday a law to charge foreign motorists for using the country's famed Autobahn network, drawing angry reactions from neighbouring states and threats of legal action.
Drivers of German and foreign-registered cars are to pay tolls on highways and country roads from 2016, but Germans are be reimbursed through a cut in their motor vehicle tax.
Sponsors of the law said it will generate around 500 million euros ($563 million) per year in revenue to invest in German roads and bridges.
The toll badge will cost up to 130 euros a year, depending on a car's age, engine size and emissions, while drivers of foreign-registered cars can buy 10-day or two-month badges.
The measure, launched by the Bavarian sister party of Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats, won a majority in the Bundesrat upper house after clearing the Bundestag lower house in March.
The idea plays well with Germans angered by having to pay highway tolls when they visit nearby Austria, Switzerland and other European countries while foreign motorists traverse Germany for free.
"The toll will guarantee the long-term development or our infrastructure," Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt said.
However other countries warned the measure may breach EU non-discrimination rules.
"Austria continues to consider the German move contrary to EU law and has sought legal advice on this," a spokeswoman for its transport minister, Alois Stoeger, told AFP. 
"Once the toll becomes law in Germany, expected in June or July, we will launch a complaint with the European Commission, which has three months to respond. All else failing, we will take legal action."
The Netherlands, which noted that Germany was its citizens' top tourist destination, will work with other affected countries and the European Commission "with the aim of stopping the launch of this toll," Infrastructure Minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen said in a statement.


tony


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## Morphology (Jul 23, 2010)

So, possibly €10 per month for non-German registered vehicles? Would it stop us visiting Germany? Probably not. We'll just buy a couple of bottles fewer of their wine to compensate....


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

it's been coming...

http://forums.motorhomefacts.com/131-germany-touring/124089-german-road-tolls.html


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## Solwaybuggier (Mar 4, 2008)

I'd be surprised, based on other vignette schemes, if a 10 day or 2 month pass isn't proportionately more expensive than the annual rate- so would guess it will be more like €15 for 10 days.

However much of a pain this is, and I blame the Swiss for starting it off, I struggle to see how Austria can object to something that looks in principle very much like their vignette scheme. Wonder which government will follow next?


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## Carl_n_Flo (May 10, 2005)

I think the complaints by the neighbouring countries centre on the fact that the German system does not impose a tax on German registered vehicles, whereas with all the other systems in the other countries the locals have to pay the tax as well as the foreign vehicles.

When I say it doesnt impose the tax on German vehicles, I refer to the statement that German registered vehicles will get a discount on their 'tax disc' of the equivalent amount of the toll - therebay making it neutral.


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## Solwaybuggier (Mar 4, 2008)

Carl_n_Flo said:


> I think the complaints by the neighbouring countries centre on the fact that the German system does not impose a tax on German registered vehicles, whereas with all the other systems in the other countries the locals have to pay the tax as well as the foreign vehicles.
> 
> When I say it doesnt impose the tax on German vehicles, I refer to the statement that German registered vehicles will get a discount on their 'tax disc' of the equivalent amount of the toll - therebay making it neutral.


But since the road fund licences are not harmonised within the EU, presumably how much road tax any country charges is purely an internal matter? And German motorists will have to pay the vignette- they'll just get it back another way.

I'd have thought there is a fairly strong argument that the proportionately higher vignette costs for short periods compared to annual ones amounts to an indirect discrimination in favour of "native" motorists.

Bloody pain, though, the way this is spreading.


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## ksblair (Feb 26, 2012)

As a regular traveller to southern Bavaria I'm not exactly happy to have to pay tolls from next year. However I can understand the German position. My son-in-law who is a member of the political party mentioned told me years ago that they were fed up with subsidising neighbouring countries motorists and that tolls were on the way. If he goes to France, Austria, Switzerland or Italy he pays a toll. I countered that when he brings his Hymer to the UK he pays nothing. His reply - what about the higher price of fuel in the UK. Most of the difference is higher UK tax.


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## Christine600 (Jan 20, 2011)

Will they have the same price for all cars or will large MHs pay much more like in France?


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## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

If it is good enough for them we should be doing the same over here, everybody as usual come over here for the free ride in whatever they can get out of us!..

ray.


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## klyne (May 10, 2005)

Apparently motorhomes, unlike cars, will be charged by weight, so much for every 200kgs the same as other commercial vans. However this is unlikely to have any affect on short term vignettes.

David


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## dghr272 (Jun 14, 2012)

bognormike said:


> it's been coming...
> 
> http://forums.motorhomefacts.com/131-germany-touring/124089-german-road-tolls.html


And coming........

http://forums.motorhomefacts.com/13...ls-applied-germany-next-year-non-germans.html


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