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Indicator Specification
Including external costs in the pricing of transport is important. This is so that the full consequences of transport requirements such as environmental impacts, congestion and accidents are taken into account
The external costs of transport are those affecting society, environment and economy, but that are not directly born by the transport user who has caused them (e.g. climate change, infrastructure, air pollution, accidents, noise etc).
Description of external cost
There has been a continuous effort from the European Commission to highlight the need to accurately reflect the true cost involved in the transport system as a whole and therefore build a fair and more efficient transport pricing system. The European Commission stressed this in a number of policy papers; the Green Paper on fair and efficient pricing (European Commission, 1995), the White Paper on fair payment for infrastructure use (European Commission, 1998), the White Paper on European transport policy for 2010 (European Commission, 2001) and its revision in 2006.
More recently, the Commission prepared a strategy to internalise the external costs for all modes of transport that was adopted in July 2008. Lately, the Communication on the Future on Transport, adopted by the Commission on 17th June 2009, states that in transport, like in any other sector, there cannot be economic efficiency unless the prices reflect all costs — internal and external — actually caused by the users. It also calls for Member states and international organisations collaboration where appropriate, to ensure that users’ costs include relevant externalities for all modes and vehicles.
No target
Information on methodologies are available in the documents listed in the scientific reference documents.
N/A
No methodology references available.
No uncertainty has been specified
No uncertainty has been specified
No uncertainty has been specified
Work specified here requires to be completed within 1 year from now.
Work specified here will require more than 1 year (from now) to be completed.
For references, please go to https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/indicators/external-costs-and-charges-per or scan the QR code.
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