In recent years, the gap between the taxes on petrol and diesel had started to close but has since stagnated, T&E’s interactive tool shows.
The tool, now updated with data up to 2020, shows that fuel taxes levied by European states have continued to decrease as a proportion of total tax revenues. If this trend continues, road charging will be more important than ever as a tool to tax pollution and raise revenue.
In real terms, despite the efforts by some member states to increase fuel taxes, diesel fuel taxes are at the same level as in 1995. There is still a major difference in fuel taxes between member states, even between neighbouring ones, which promote fuel tourism. For instance, between Latvia (39 cents per litre) and Estonia (49 cents per litre), Spain and Portugal (38 vs 49 cents), or France and Luxembourg (61 vs 35 cents). To find out more, click here to see T&E’s interactive tax tool.
T&E's paper on how to harmonise EU regulations to accelerate transport decarbonisation.
National climate targets off track
Six years left to course correct and avoid penalties