Hauliers have until 31 December to tell the European Commission (EC) what they think about a pan-European Union (EU) road charging system, and if so, what charges should be levied.
The public consultation is part of the EC's preparation for major proposals it must make next year on road charging to cover the external costs created by all transport methods.
These include pollution, CO2 emissions, congestion, infrastructure wear and tear, and accidents.
The Brussels initiative
is mandated by the 1996 Eurovignette Directive on road charging for trucks this says that by June 2008, the EC should present "a generally applicable, transparent and comprehensible model for the assessment of all external costs to serve as the basis for future calculations of infrastructure charges".
This study has to be accompanied by an assessment of the impact of "the internalisation of external costs for all modes of transport", and also by "if appropriate, proposals for further revision of this Directive".
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