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The European Parliament is preparing to vote on the targeted amendment of the Eurovignette Directive under an emergency procedure. This follows a vote by the Transport Committee on 16 July, with the plenary session expected to finalise the procedure in September. The European Commission's legislative proposal, presented on 27 June, seeks to extend the exemption of zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles from road tolls until 30 June 2031. Currently, this exemption is set to expire on 31 December 2025, after which only a maximum reduction of 75% would be permitted for zero-emission trucks from 1 January 2026.

 DG MOVE has justified the emergency procedure to prevent a legal vacuum, as the Directive will require transposition into national law after adoption. In this context, CLECAT, welcomed the Commission proposal which is in line with its position paper. The slow adoption of zero-emission vehicles in the road freight sector is attributed to significant operational and financial challenges. The lack of charging and refuelling infrastructure, high purchase costs, and limited financing options hinder the widespread use of these cleaner technologies. The proposed exemption period until mid-2031 provides a clear signal, offering the investment certainty needed by the freight sector. This is an important step towards advancing the decarbonisation of road freight.