Green transition in EU

New truck CO₂ tolls in Denmark and Sweden starting January 2025

EU countries have started implementing new truck CO₂ tolls, which are expected to have a significant impact on freight costs, likely causing them to rise in the coming years.
Tolling in the EU is governed by the Eurovignette Directive, which was reformed to encourage the use of cleaner trucks and reduce emissions from heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs).

The requirement to vary truck tolls by CO₂ emissions is the main focus of the reform, which is why member states primarily toll trucks based on distance travelled.

In line with the changes in toll taxes across the European market, Sweden and Denmark have shared their plans to introduce their CO₂ tolling component in January 2025.
Initially, this will apply to vehicles with a gross weight exceeding 12 tonnes, but by the end of March 2027, it will be extended to all vehicles.

In May 2024, sixteen EU countries (Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Spain) received a formal notice from the European Commission to advance with the implementation of the Eurovignette Directive. As a result, changes might come sooner than expected in these countries.

In summary, by 2026, distance- and time-based tolls varied by CO₂ emissions are expected to be in force in most member states. 


Source:
https://www.iru.org/news-resources/newsroom/european-road-freight-rates-q2-2024-contract-index-down-spot-index
https://www.tungt.no/article/view/1021845/danmark_innforer_kilometerbasert_avgift_pa_diesel
https://www.transportenvironment.org/articles/tolling-the-highway-to-green-trucking