Due to onerous taxes on German highways, a large flow of trucks makes the detour via Alsace. Flow that the European Community of Alsace hears «rebalance» via this new tax.
The heavy goods vehicle tax project that Alsace wants to introduce in 2027 to lighten its roads worries economic players, starting with the transport sector, which is calling for demonstrations. It will be better to avoid the Alsatian motorways on Monday morning: a snail operation for road hauliers is announced between Mulhouse and Strasbourg. In the viewfinder, the heavy goods vehicle tax on which the European Collectivity of Alsace (CEA), resulting from the merger in 2021 of the departmental councils of Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin, must decide on October 21.
In reaction to this project, the Collective for the Competitiveness of the Alsatian Economy contacted the Minister for Transport, François Durovray, who, the day before in Strasbourg, provided his support to the Alsatian community. “It is important to clarify that it is not only the transporters who are firmly opposed to this measure, but all of the economic sectors in Alsace, who are up in arms in the face of this tax”says the economic association. “All sectors, whatever they may be, will be seriously impacted by this tax, well beyond the transport sector, all the way to the purchasing power of consumers.” The collective calls into question “lack of knowledge of the file, economic realities and the real impact of this measure” by François Durovray.
The CEA plans to introduce this tax on heavy goods vehicles weighing more than 3.5 tonnes from the beginning of 2027 on the motorway which crosses the region from north to south. Due to onerous taxes on German highways, a large flow of trucks makes the detour via Alsace. With this tax, Frédéric Bierry, president of the CEA, intends “rebalance heavy goods vehicle transit traffic”as he explained to the press on Friday.
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“Truck vacuum cleaner”
Alsace has recorded an 18% increase in the number of heavy goods vehicles since the increase in the fee on the German side at the end of 2023, with even a peak of +30% in August. “Not doing R-Pass (the name of the tax project, Editor’s note) would be subsidizing heavy goods vehicle traffic in transit and continuing to make the north-south axis a vacuum cleaner for trucks”warns Frédéric Bierry (various right), pointing out the increase in pollution, traffic jams, accidents, and the deterioration of the roadway. “The concerns of Alsatian economic circles are taken into account”he insists.
“The consultation will continue from Monday, and each time we take advantage of the comments to improve the system”continues Frédéric Bierry, recalling that he has already reduced the portion of road that will be taxed, going from the 500 kilometers initially planned to 200 kilometers. The CEA also highlights its desire to minimize the impact on Alsatian businesses, to exempt different branches thanks to exemptions, and it intends to compensate for the tax by reinjecting part of the revenue to support the economy.
Also readAlsace: the heavy goods vehicle tax at low speed
Red hats
Applied mainly on the A35, the tax would bring in 64 million euros per year, half of which would come from transit traffic, according to a study. “The proposal from the Collectivity of Alsace today, if I understood correctly, they are at 15 cents per kilometer, whereas in Germany, we are at three or four times more”underlined Thursday François Durovray. “We have not yet been able to show the benefit that our fellow citizens could derive from it. I’m not saying that we’re going to find the solution, like that, but we have to work on it.”pleaded the Minister Delegate.
Asked about the strong opposition aroused in 2013 by the ecotax project in Brittany, with the movement of “red caps”Frédéric Bierry evokes “a completely different context”. “More than 50% of the tax will be paid by transit traffic. In Brittany this was not the case. The impact for economic players will be low, and with the exemptions we are working on, that leaves me to think that we must be able to move forward with the economic world”he hopes.
