The European Commission pointed out yesterday that Spain proposed, and Brussels approved, a Recovery Plan which foresees the introduction of tolls on the main motorways and dual carriageways. "We understand that the Spanish plan refers to a payment mechanism for the use of roads that will start in 2024 in line with the polluter pays principle," said the economic spokeswoman for the Community Executive, Veerle Nuyts. Brussels took a stand in the controversy that arose in the electoral face-off between Pedro Sánchez and Alberto Núñez Feijóo and specified that the terms of the agreement remain in force today.
The Recovery Plan, added the spokeswoman for the Commission, includes "the commitment to approve a sustainable mobility and transport financing law by December 2023". The Spanish Government started the procedures to create this rule and went so far as to present the bill to Congress without, of course, making any reference to tolls. The rule lapsed due to the dissolution of the General Courts due to the early calling of elections and, therefore, the next government should resume the law to comply with what has been agreed with Brussels.
The European Commission emphasized that it will proceed to evaluate the commitment to implement payment for the use of Spanish roads from next year, once the government that leaves the polls on Sunday requests the corresponding payment of European funds. "We will evaluate this measure when we reach Spain's fifth payment request, so it is not a discussion for today," added Nuyts. In this fifth disbursement, the request for 8,000 million linked to 13 milestones is planned.
The controversy over tolls grew last week after the General Director of Traffic, Pere Navarro, assured that the toll gates on the roads should be in operation from 2024. The Minister of Transport, Raquel Sánchez, denied "categorically" that it will be required to pay to drive and Navarro had to apologize. Sánchez, yesterday, insisted on discarding the measure.
The Government explains that, at this moment, the Department of Economic Affairs of the Presidency and the Ministry of the Economy are negotiating with the European Commission to replace the payment to use the roads with another system with which to pay for their conservation and, in turn, comply with the environmental commitment. They also argue that the economic situation has changed. These conversations, they add, are part of the negotiations of the addendum to the Recovery Plan.
What would happen if Spain, or any EU country, does not approve within the deadline and in the appropriate manner the reforms agreed in the various recovery plans? Everything is priced. "In the request for disbursement there would be an unfulfilled milestone and, therefore, a partial payment procedure could be initiated, that is to say, the resources that the country would receive would be reduced", government sources explain.
This procedure has already started with Italy. The European Commission has been blocking a payment to the transalpine country for months because it has not met targets that should have been implemented at the end of last year.
During the period of Isabel Pardo de Vera at the Secretary of State for Transport, the ministry advanced studies to implement payment for the use of roads and outlined several possible models to debate with transport professionals and parliamentary groups.
