Will highway tolls increase in 2025?
The Constitutional Council upheld the tax on highways and airports on Thursday, September 12, 2024.
Intended to finance the green transition to the tune of 600 million euros per year, this tax has been criticized by car dealers, who claim it creates “distortions of competition among operators.” But could this tax end up affecting drivers?
Bad news for highway concessionaires. On Thursday, September 12, the Constitutional Council upheld the tax on long-distance transportation infrastructure, as provided for in Article 100 of the 2024 Finance Act. This tax is intended to finance the ecological transition by generating approximately 600 million euros each year.
A revenue threshold
The Sages of the Palais Royal ruled that this tax did not constitute a breach of equality with other transportation infrastructure operators, nor did it represent an “excessive burden in light of their ability to pay.” They also specified that it applied only to companies with a minimum revenue of 120 million euros and an average break-even point of 10 percent.
In June, highway concessionaires and airports had challenged this legislation, citing “unequal treatment” and “distortions of competition among operators in the same sector.” The Société Aéroports de la Côte d'Azur (Nice), Groupe ADP (Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle and Orly), the Union of French Airports (UAF), and highway operators (APRR, Sanef, Cofiroute, etc.) had filed a lawsuit challenging the decree implementing this tax.
A toll increase?
"This new tax, which is being implemented only in France, puts French airports at a disadvantage compared to other airports in Europe, given that competition is constantly growing," lamented Thomas Juin, president of the Union of French Airports (UAF), in an interview with Ouest-France. He added: "This tax, which is increasing substantially, would result in a reduction in these airports’ investment programs."
Vinci Autoroutes estimates that this tax will cost the group 280 million euros in 2024. Could this substantial sum be passed on to French motorists? Not a chance, our colleagues assure us. They point out that toll rates are set each year by the government based on inflation and the investment plans of the highway companies.
