Potential surcharge on diesel cars in Brussels region

Potential surcharge on diesel cars in Brussels region
Traffic on the Brussels ring road. Credit: Belga

Diesel cars may be taxed up to six times more than petrol vehicles in the Brussels region. The finding comes out of the final report by experts responsible for reforming vehicle taxation in Brussels. La Libre has obtained a copy of the report.

In the document, which is around one hundred pages in total, experts are proposing to review the calculation methods for road tax. The latter is currently based upon the size and engine power of the vehicle. The new version is likely to anticipate taxing Brussels vehicles based upon three criteria: the European standard (from Euro 0 to Euro 6), the type of fuel and CO2 emissions.

In practice, a Euro 6 “a” and “b” diesel vehicle is likely to have annual road tax of €300, whilst a Euro 6 “a” and “b” petrol vehicle may only pay €50. In the case of recently manufactured engines, vehicle tax may be six times higher for a diesel engine as for a petrol engine.

The Report authors state that the objective is to “support the ‘removal of diesel vehicles’ from Brussels vehicle fleets, and to fight against air pollution.”

It is not yet known for certain how these recommendations will be applied by the Brussels government.


The Brussels Times


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