The much-feared eco-tax on industrial vehicles in the French region of Alsace is becoming a reality, following its approval by the European Community of Alsace on October 21, 2024. The tax will affect all industrial vehicles weighing over 3.5 tons traveling along 200 kilometers of Alsatian roads, including highways A35 and A36, starting in 2027. The toll will be set at 0.15 euros per kilometer, and authorities expect to collect 64 million euros annually.
The introduction of this eco-tax stems largely from the fact that thousands of trucks currently use Alsatian roads to avoid German highways, where they must pay the Maut toll of 0.34 euros per kilometer. French trucking associations are already mobilizing against this toll, arguing that transporters will struggle to pass on the additional cost to their customers. Furthermore, international haulers will face the burden of paying the toll both ways.
On the same day as the decision, truckers and farmers held a protest in Colmar, in front of the European Community of Alsace headquarters. Dressed in black, the protesters brought a wreath to mourn the "victims of the new R-Pass tax." The European Community of Alsace has stated that it will not backtrack on the eco-tax and emphasized that the revenue will be reinvested in the local economy.
