Potential chaos for operators as French Ecotax deadline looms

Dover ferry booking firm Harbour Shipping has warned of a looming crisis for UK hauliers operating on the continent, as the extended deadline to register with France’s new Ecotax scheme rapidly approaches.

An estimated 800,000 vehicles across Europe which use the French national road network and some regional roads are required to be registered for the new road tax, which will be levied on all freight vehicles over 3.5 tonnes from 1 January 2014.

Unregistered vehicles arriving in France from New Year’s Day onwards may face fines of €750 for a first offence, and €1,500 for offences thereafter, and/or the prospect of vehicles being impounded.

Harbour Shipping, which is one of several firms permitted by the French authorities to complete submissions for Ecotax on behalf of vehicle operators, has warned that with registrations typically taking up to six weeks to process, it is highly unlikely that all applications will be processed before the deadline.

While vehicle banding for the scheme is still being finalised by the French authorities, the rate of Ecotax will vary depending on vehicle category and pollution level (Euro class).

Registered operators are provided with an on-board unit (OBU), which should be hardwired into the vehicle to which it is registered and displayed in the windscreen. The device features a GPS system, and calculates the amount of Ecotax due, according to the distance covered and roads travelled upon.

Said Harbour Shipping: “The OBU will be the only accepted method for accounting for the Ecotax (TPLN) on the French National roads and replace the current Bi-Modal Tag. One benefit to transporters working across Europe is that it can also be used to account for the tolls in France, Spain, Portugal and the Liefkenshoek Tunnel in Belgium.”

The company says that the biggest problem for UK businesses is providing a Certificate of Conformity detailing vehicles’ emissions rating and engine class. While such a document is issued as standard to every new vehicle in some European nations, no equivalent UK document exists – but a manufacturer’s confirmation of the vehicle’s Euro class is deemed acceptable for registration purposes.

Said Harbour Shipping managing director Clive Howell: “The French have delayed the implementation of the tax from 1 October 2013 to 1 January but we believe this is the final in a series of delays. So unless UK companies grasp the nettle now, I predict chaos ahead.

“It’s my belief that companies waiting any longer to register their trucks won’t get their OBUs in time and will either face not being able to use their vehicles in France in the new year, or will rack up hefty fines for trying to do so. The French are carefully scrutinising all applications and many are being returned on the basis of minor errors. Other than pan-European logistics operators, some of the most likely affected sectors include horseboxes, motor-racing transporters and exhibition companies.”

Vehicles with a maximum weight permissible of 3.5 tonnes or less are exempt from the Ecotax, as are passenger transport vehicles and certain other categories, such as emergency services, agricultural and military vehicles.

The French government had been forced to postpone the introduction of the programme until January 2014, because technical problems had come to light during the test-phase of the scheme which began at the end of July.

Ecomouv, the private contractor running the scheme, has been ordered to take corrective measures as soon possible, with the government threatening to take action against the operator if there are further delays, provision for which is made in the contract.

A week before the delay was announced, France’s leading road haulage association, the FNTR, had warned that as a result of significant delays in the process of registering trucks, there was no way the scheme could be introduced in 2013.

Transport minister Frédéric Cuvillier said it was in the interests of road hauliers “to arrive at a safe and stable scheme” which the postponement would allow. The delay is estimated to have a minimum cost in lost revenue to the French government of €240 million.