The European Commission has referred Bulgaria, Greece, and Poland to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to implement EU rules on vehicle charges (Directive (EU) 2022/362). These countries did not notify the transposition measures by the deadline of March 25, 2024.
On May 23, 2024, the Commission sent formal notices, followed by reasoned opinions on December 16, 2024, each with a two-month period to respond. The countries presented a timeline for adoption, but no transposition measures have been notified to date.
The Commission considers the efforts by the national authorities insufficient and is thus referring the three countries to the Court, requesting financial penalties.
Background
The Directive on charges for heavy goods vehicles (Directive 1999/62/EC) sets rules for tolls and user charges in the EU. Member States are not required to recover infrastructure costs but must comply with the directive if they choose to do so.
The directive is crucial for EU transport policy, aligning with the user pays and polluter pays principles. New rules require that user charges for light vehicles are proportional to usage duration. From 2026, external costs for air pollution must be recovered.
More Information
Infringement decisions database
Infringement procedure Bulgaria (INFR(2024)0150)
Infringement procedure Greece (INFR(2024)0155)
Infringement procedure Poland (INFR(2024)0169)