Internalisation of external costs is the Commission initiative to charge carriers not only for directly related expenses to this sector - infrastructure construction and maintenance, but also for the external costs - such as pollution (chemical and sound) or congestion.
According to the International Road Transport Union, the directive review should be made only after clear identification and analysis of the external costs that are not already fully supported by operators. On the other hand, representatives of the railway sector have expressed regret over the lack of agreement on the revision of the ”Eurovignette“ directive. “Without charging the external costs generated by the trucks, the most polluting means of transport are privileged. Although we understand the difficulties caused by the current economic crisis, it is vital that environmental targets be settled,“ said Johannes Ludewig, executive director of the European Railways Community.
