In Germany, a lengthy legal dispute, which also involved the European Court of Justice, is ongoing regarding the legitimacy of the road tolls for commercial vehicles imposed from October 1, 2015, to October 27, 2020, known as Tool Collect. Indeed, the aforementioned European Court and the Higher Administrative Court of Münster had already determined that including police-related costs in the toll rate is illegitimate.
On March 24, 2024, this interpretation was confirmed by the Administrative Court of Cologne. The Gruteruck website reports that the German judges also assessed the portion of the toll that was inadmissible: from October 1, 2015, to December 31, 2018, it was 5.86%, and in the subsequent period, it dropped to 4.44%. Therefore, transport companies that paid the toll during this period can claim compensation at these percentages, increased by interest.
The German association CamionPro has been moving for some time to request such refunds on behalf of its members, and this latest ruling represents a step forward in initiating legal proceedings. However, it must be considered that the Cologne verdict is still subject to an appeal, thus prolonging the legal saga.
