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EC sends vvarning to France and Spain over 'discriminatory' toll discounts
Page 17
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LEGAL ACTION by the European Commission could force the French and Spanish governments to slash motorway toll reductions for frequent road users.
The EC has sent wboth governments final warning letters saying it may take them to the European Court of Justice because their reductions are so steep (up to 50% in Spain and 30% in France) that they discriminate against occasional motorway users, effectively favouring domestic haulage firms. "lhe EC points Out that under the recently adopted Eurovignette directive on road charging, "discounts for frequent users may under no circumstances exceed 13% of the toll".
It adds: "This provision ensures that all hauliers contribute on an equal basis to the cost of the infrastructure they use, and avoids charges below the infrastructure costs for frequent users being compensated for with higher payments from occasional users."