4 October 2025, Brussels - The European Commission has presented a targeted amendment to Directive 1999/62/EC (the Eurovignette Directive), which regulates tolls and user charges for the use of road infrastructure across the European Union.
The update aims to clarify, simplify, and refine specific provisions, ensuring they align with the latest CO₂ emission performance framework for heavy-duty vehicles, while maintaining the directive’s original objectives.
According to the Commission, this amendment will enhance legal clarity and predictability, allowing both national administrations and transport operators to better understand their rights and obligations under EU law.
Focus on “Polluter pays” and “User pays” principles
The Eurovignette Directive is founded on two key principles:
Polluter pays - allowing road charges to reflect the environmental performance of vehicles, encouraging cleaner fleets. User pays - ensuring that road users contribute fairly to the costs of infrastructure maintenance and operation.
Directive (EU) 2022/362, adopted in 2022, already introduced CO₂-based charging mechanisms. The new proposal refines and clarifies those provisions to ensure uniform implementation across all EU Member States, preventing divergent interpretations and administrative burdens.
What happens next
The proposal will now move to the European Parliament and the Council for examination under the ordinary legislative procedure.
Once adopted, the revised rules will help establish a more transparent and harmonised EU framework for road charging, balancing economic efficiency with environmental responsibility.
This initiative supports the EU’s broader goal of reducing emissions from road transport while maintaining a fair and competitive internal market for logistics and mobility services.
