On 1 January 2025, Denmark will leave the Eurovignette system and introduce a kilometre-based toll for heavy goods vehicles. This decision marks a significant change in Danish transport policy and will have a major impact on international freight transport in the region.

The Eurovignette system, which currently applies in Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, charges a flat rate for trucks weighing 12 tonnes or more on motorways and motorways. Following Denmark's withdrawal, only three countries will remain in this co-operation. The new toll in Denmark, on the other hand, will be distance-dependent and will be based on vehicle characteristics such as weight and CO2 emissions.

Key features of the new toll system:

• Dependence of charges on vehicle weight and CO2 emissions

• Higher tariffs in low emission zones

• Initially for vehicles over 12 tonnes, from 2027 for all commercial vehicles over 3.5 tonnes

• Extension to all public roads from 2028

This change means that transport companies will have to adjust their route planning and costs. The Danish authorities are providing extensive information material to facilitate the transition.

Objective of the reform

With this measure, Denmark is following a European trend towards the introduction of distance-based toll systems in order to achieve a fairer distribution of road usage costs and incentivise more environmentally friendly vehicles.

For the remaining Eurovignette countries, the Danish withdrawal could mean a reorganisation of the system. It remains to be seen whether Sweden, the Netherlands or Luxembourg will also switch to a kilometre-based system.

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Image source: pixabay

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