motorways and large airports soon subject to a tax which should bring in 600 million euros

2023-09-27 13:37:41

By Le Figaro with AFP

Published 2 hours ago, Updated 2 hours ago

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This announcement immediately caused Vinci to react, who warned “an increase in taxes is inevitably an increase” in tolls.

The measure had been on the table for several weeks. This time, it’s official. The government plans to introduce a new tax on motorway concessions and large airports in 2024 which should bring in 600 million euros annually, he announced on Wednesday while presenting his draft budget.

«The tax on long-distance transport infrastructure will actually be implemented», declared the Minister of Economy and Finance, Bruno Le Maire, to the press before the presentation of the next budget to the Council of Ministers. “These are polluting transport infrastructures, whether road or air.“, he added. Gold “the best financing» for investments «extremely high» et «imperatives» necessary in terms of ecological transition, «is to ensure that those who pollute more contribute more“, he insisted.

Read also Taxing motorway companies more will not lead to an increase in toll prices, says Clément Beaune

The central question of the toll price

Bruno Le Maire assured that this increase in taxation would not be reflected “not on the user» thanks to the maintenance of “the definition of toll rates“. The companies targeted by this new tax will have to meet a turnover and profitability threshold, the Ministry of the Economy and Finance was told. The executive had already announced its desire to tax motorway concessionaires such as Vinci, Sanef or Eiffage because of their profitability considered excessive, but the Council of State had warned against the “high” legal risk of only targeting companies in this sector.

«An increase in taxes inevitably means an increase in toll rates», replied the president of Vinci Autoroutes, Pierre Coppey, on Wednesday, after the government’s announcement of a new tax on motorways and large airports. Increase taxationwould not only be a violation of the state’s word” but also “a contradiction at a time when there is an urgent need to invest in decarbonizing the road», Supported Vinci in a message sent to AFP.