The Future EU “Road Package” Emanuela Stocchi Director of International Affairs AISCAT, Rome – Italy An overview of the European Union • 28 Member States • 24 official languages • nearly 507 Mln of inhabitants • nearly 4.5 Mln of Km² • GDP growth: 0,3%* * = fourth quarter of 2014 compared to previous quarter (Sources: EUROSTAT: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu and TRADINGECONOMICS http://www.tradingeconomics.com/euro-area/gdp-growth) The EU Tolling Industry: ASECAP the “European IBTTA” Some ASECAP key figures • 21 Members (16 full + 5 associates) • 187 tolling companies • 48,265.01 toll kms in operation • 26,313.65 Mln Euros of toll revenues • 27,346 ETC lanes (majority with DSRC technology, few systems with GNSS technology, very few free-flow systems) • 26,660,884 ETC subscribers Source: ASECAP Statistical Bulletin 2014 • Out of 27,346 ETC lanes: • More than19,000 use DSRC technology; • 6,745 (in Germany only for HLs) and 1,132 (in the Slovak Republic) use GNSS technology; • in Austria 14 ETC lanes are equipped with video-toll systems only for LVs; • in Ireland some ramp plazas use free-flow systems. A new EU with New Policy Orientations • New legislative mandate 2014-2020 • New EU Institutions in place • Need of boosting competitiveness, fostering growth, helping jobs’ creation in the EU • Revision of several EU policies, included transportation • Proposal for a new “Road Package” in 2016 Image source: bmeia.gov.at Charging of Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) in the EU EU policy orientations (1) • Need to look for sustainable infrastructure financing • Vehicles become more energy efficient and use alternative fuels: revenues from fuel excise duties will fall. • Budgetary constraints: the capacity of governments to finance transport infrastructure from tax payers' money is seriously hampered in the coming years. • User charging could provide alternative and sustainable source of money while attracting private investors through Public Private Partnerships to maintain good quality infrastructure, a key asset for the competiveness of the EU economy. EU policy orientations (2) • Promote user pays and polluter pays principles • Revise and simplify the existing legislation (Eurovignette) to achieve greater consistency among National legislative frameworks • Mandatory inclusion of all vehicles (HLs and LVs) into congestion charging systems • Foster IOP of ETC systems throughout EU, linking road charging revision with IOP deployment • Legislative proposal expected in the first half of 2016 ETC IOP in the EU: from EETS to REETS …. just to start with • A specific EU legal framework for a wide, harmonized ETC system applicable to the whole EU territory: the EETS (European Electronic Tolling Service) • One OBU, one contract • Three actors: Toll Chargers, EETS providers, road users • EETS system not fully achieved in time • Start deploying IOP at Regional level (with 7 Member States) • REETS project: co-financed by the EC, taking into account “a stepwise regional approach to EETS deployment”, while looking at the future objective for a full European coverage. Thoughts from the EU tolling industry Positive inputs from the future EU Road Package: • Widen user pays principle’s application and develop user charging systems • Promote and attract private sector’s involvement in infrastructure financing • Earmarking of toll revenues: re-investment in the transportation sector and promote tolling as the best tool for building, operating, improving, maintaining safe, efficient and reliable road infrastructure for the benefit of the users and the citizens, a common and shared belief of the tolling industry all around the world Thank you for your attention! If you want to contact me: [email protected] Sources and acknowledgements: ASECAP: www.asecap.com ASFINAG: REETS project leadership EU: http://ec.europa.eu European Commission (Transportation Directorate DG MOVE): http://ec.europa.eu/transportation/index_en.htm EUROSTAT: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu
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