No question of deporting road traffic to Lorraine and Champagne-Ardenne.

The candidates in the regional elections of the Grand-Est say they are in favor of an extension of the heavy goods vehicle tax, which will be implemented in Alsace, to these two departments, but under certain conditions.

The subject was invited into the campaign for regional elections after a ministerial order taken at the end of May which allows the European Collectivity of Alsace (CEA) to set up a heavy goods vehicle tax on its territory.

A decision hailed in Alsace but which also worries the neighboring departments. The current president of the Grand-Est region Jean Rottner (Stronger together) warns about a mechanical postponement on the Lorraine roads, "in particular the A31 already very congested" of international transit. “Above all, we must not swap one lane with a truck for another! »Warns the elected. Stressing that it is the establishment of "an equivalent measure among our border neighbors" which "caused the postponement of heavy goods vehicle traffic from German highways to the north-south Alsatian and Lorraine axes", a similar tax limited to the Alsace "would only shift the problem", denounces Jean Rottner.

The same goes for the other candidates.

Brigitte Klinkert, currently Minister in charge of Integration and candidate for La Force de nos Territoires, also wishes to restore the balance of traffic on both sides of the border, recalling that "it is an environmental issue, of road safety. and public health (…) and for local economic actors.

"

An extension of jurisdiction for the regions which is in any case under discussion in the “climate and resilience” bill, currently being examined by Parliament.

It would therefore be "a problem" of timing.

A decision taken "in the midst of an electoral campaign" ironically calls out the environmental candidate Eliane Romani, who reminds us that the ecotax has always been requested by environmentalists with the hope of postponing road transit to rail and river.

This tax could even be used to finance free travel on regional trains, indicates on its website the socialist candidate Aurélie Filippetti (The unpublished call).

“However, the CEA does not have jurisdiction over the TER, indignant the candidate.

It is ecologically absurd and unfair for Lorraine and Champagne-Ardenne.

"Its only installation in Alsace would be," not viewed favorably by the Lorrainers, underlines Eliane Romani.

But there is this opportunity to seize this competence and to put it in place throughout the region ”points out the ecologist.

Our 2021 regional elections file

A heavy goods vehicle tax, yes, but ...

However, this implementation can only be envisaged in close consultation with all economic players and especially regional carriers, the candidates emphasize with more or less force. “We must support them in this transition, which cannot be done at their expense,” underlines Brigitte Klinkert.

Laurent Jacobelli (RN) even makes it a

sine qua non

condition

.

  "This must first go through a solution for Lorraine", explains the candidate.

Noting the importance "of having autonomous regions, he conditions this tax on obtaining" a mechanism so that regional, French road carriers do not have to bear the cost of this eco-tax.

They are already suffering from international competition that I would qualify as unfair, assures Laurent Jacobelli, with safety, health and labor standards that are stricter than those of Eastern Europe.

If in addition we have to make them pay a tax, then we sacrifice them.

So we have to find compensation.

There is no doubt that the debate on the heavy goods vehicle tax will run well beyond the regional elections.

Economy

Alsace will be able to tax heavy goods vehicles

Society

Ecotax: Alsace is impatiently awaiting its return, Brittany still does not want it

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