Spain motorways not to be free anymore!

[Gingernuts]

Just heard on the local news (spectrum fm Almeria ) that Spain has been told by the eu to introduce a motorway toll system or face legal action!

 

[Jewellbags]

But not told Germany ?

 

[JJ]

Don't you just LOVE local news...


JJ

 

[David and Sally]

They should tell the eu to eff off. On what basis can the eu dictate such a thing?

Will that apply to Belgium and Holland?

Or is it just misinformation.?

 

[L' Hobo]

Just heard on the local news (spectrum fm Almeria ) that Spain has been told by the eu to introduce a motorway toll system or face legal action!

Back in the day when they were first built and I was Trucking through Spain with a 20ton load of steel, I asked, why were all these new motorways, that I was running parallel to, devoid of ALL traffic and everyone, including myself, were still using the old routes.

I was told by a man in Zaragoza where I was picking up my return load of potatoes, that it was because one had to pay to use them.

Why, I asked, did the Spanish Government pay for them to be built if no-one was going to use them?
He said, the Government didn't pay, it was money from the EU.

If the EU paid for them, perhaps, they can call the shots?

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[gus-lopez]

It was included in the spanish recovery plan ,post covid. Brussels is holding spain to the introduction of them. They weren't introduced due to the increase in fuel /gas due to the russian scums war. The only way out is to remove it from the recovery plan or modify it. Until then the eu will try to hold them to it

 

[Bill-H]

It's now being reported on several EU/Spanish news websites.
a quick google selecting 'listed within the last 24hrs' in the tools selection of google

 

[G7UXG]

But not told Germany ?

Germany already has a toll system. It doesn’t apply to passenger cars.

Motorway toll Germany - info 2024 - Tolls.eu

Tolls are only applicable to vehicles with a maximum authorised weight of 7.5 t and more. The passage of motorways with a passenger car is free of charge.

www.tolls.eu

 

[gus-lopez]

It doesn’t apply to passenger cars.

I believe the spanish one applies to all except HGv's

 

[PaulW2]

Interesting. Countries normally have a high degree of autonomy about how they choose to raise taxes.

Comparing richer Spain and poorer Portugal, for instance, Portugal has toll roads, higher taxes on fuel and punitive levies on cars with larger engines and higher emissions.

Portugal's overall tax burden as a % of GDP is just a bit higher than Spain's, I think. But with a different revenue mix.

It is interesting that the EU, in its negotiations with member countries, sometimes gets down to such fine details of tax policy.

I think they've also been at loggerheads with Portugal about some tax issues. Recently, for instance, about punitive duties on imported cars. But that is more by way of challenging a departure from the agreed EU rules rather than a narrow prescription of which taxes should be collected.

I still remember some of the debates about Greece during the financial crisis. That was very unpleasant. The power asymmetry between countries in the EU, or between countries and the centre, can sometimes prove quite problematic.