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Firstly, there is no guarantee that money raised from road tolls will be reserved for the road sector. A dedicated source of income would help to remedy decades of underinvestment in EU road infrastructure. Every year road users pay EUR 330 billion to governments through taxes, yet public spending on roads amounts to only EUR 100 billion. The road sector, especially compared to other modes of transport, has more than paid its way. It is unacceptable that goods transport operators and European industry will remain dependent upon the good will of national governments to provide value for money and adequate road infrastructure. Secondly, the road transport industry and the EU economy will also lose out because there is no obligation for Member States to offset the impact of new charges through reductions in vehicle tax or fuel duty. In the end, road charges will represent an additional burden on goods transport unless governments adequately compensate hauliers. New driving and rest time rules, working time limits, driver training requirements, and unprecedented high fuel prices have stretched the sector’s resources to the limit. Despite the strong recommendations on earmarking and compensation, the responsibility now lies squarely on the shoulders of Member States to provide the road transport industry with adequate infrastructure and fair compensation for new charges. Hubert Linssen, IRU General Delegate to the EU, said, “Governments must recognise that higher road transport costs will be passed on to the rest of industry to the detriment of the European economy and its competitiveness globally”. Notwithstanding these shortcomings, based on the efforts of the Rapporteur, Mrs Wortmann-Kool, external costs (environmental and social impacts) may only be added to infrastructure charges when the Commission can develop a common methodology for ALL modes of transport, to be agreed at EU level. Mr Linssen added that “the IRU always supported the “user pays” principle for all modes of transport. This outcome reflects the IRU position that all modes of transport must pay their fair share”.  Source: IRU