President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs has decided to return amendments to the Road User Charge Law to the Saeima for reconsideration. The amendments, adopted earlier this month, would raise most road-use fees — commonly known as vignette rates — for freight vehicles over three tonnes starting the 1st of January next year, according to the President’s statement published on Facebook.
According to the President, the legislative materials show that the planned changes will directly affect legal entities and private individuals who own or operate freight vehicles with a gross weight above three tonnes and who use them for cargo transportation on Latvian roads subject to the road-use fee.
Rinkēvičs noted that although a public consultation took place before the draft law was submitted to Parliament — during which no objections or proposals were received — after its adoption representatives of the freight-transport sector, as well as small and medium-sized businesses and farmers, expressed concern about the planned changes. They stressed that the decision comes too late in the business planning cycle, as companies have already arranged operations and concluded contracts for the coming year.
In the President’s view, several significant issues remain unaddressed following the law’s adoption in its final reading, and therefore a second review by lawmakers is necessary. He emphasised that the regulation also has indirect effects on other groups in society — for example, consumers — due to the potential for rising goods and service prices.
Rinkēvičs also pointed out that although the legislative documents acknowledge that the affected groups will face additional burdens,
no analysis of the broader economic impact is included.
He stated that lawmakers must gain confidence that the proposed changes are appropriately targeted and can be implemented without revising existing exemptions from the vignette requirement — or alternatively, must consider adjusting those exemptions or providing new support measures.
The President announced that on Wednesday, the 10th of December, he will formally ask the Saeima to reconsider the amendments to the Road User Charge Law.
As reported, the Saeima adopted amendments on the 3rd of December raising most vignette rates for freight vehicles over three tonnes from the 1st of January. The purpose of the amendments is to set road-user charges that reflect the actual costs of infrastructure maintenance, taking into account the impact of heavy vehicles on road wear.
The amendments also introduce a zero-rate vignette for zero-emission vehicles
and set differentiated rates for vehicles that produce emissions, depending on their emission class.
The Ministry of Transport (MoT) previously explained to LETA that the road-use fee applies only to cargo vehicles with a gross weight starting from 3.001 tonnes and only when driving on EU TEN-T roads, which are mostly used for transit.
From the 1st of January, the fee rate will vary depending on the vehicle’s weight, number of axles, and emission class. For example, the annual vignette for N1-category light commercial vehicles between 3.001 and 3.5 tonnes with Euro VI engines would increase from €260 to €360, while the daily vignette would rise from €5 to €7.
The ministry emphasised that the vignette requirement applies only to freight vehicles above three tonnes
using major state and regional roads with toll-road status — including TEN-T segments and sections near border-crossing points and ports.
At the same time, as before, rural farmers and others who do not use these roads for freight transport will not need a vignette. Vehicles over three tonnes that are not registered as cargo vehicles — such as seven-seat family vehicles — remain exempt. During harvest season, farmers who register their vehicles with the Rural Support Service are not required to pay the road-use fee.
The MoT also stressed that freight vehicles with a mass of up to three tonnes — such as the Citroën Berlingo, Opel Combo and similar models — will continue to be exempt. Around 45,000 such vehicles are registered in Latvia.
The amendments also expand the list of roads subject to the fee. The road-use charge will apply to all road sections leading to the Terehova, Grebņeva and Pāternieki border-crossing points, ensuring that the fee legally covers the entire distance to the state border. It will also apply to an expanded network of regional roads that run parallel to main state roads or lead to ports.
Vinjete passes can be purchased for different periods
— a day, a week, a month, nine months or a year — depending on how frequently the vehicle is used.
Opposition MPs from the United List (AS) have submitted amendments calling for the removal of road-use fees for commercial vehicles between 3.01 and 3.5 tonnes and for reducing the scale of the planned fee increase. AS deputies argue that the decision will harm the economy and fuel inflation.
Transport Minister Atis Švinka (P) countered that the initiative to include vehicles between 3 and 3.5 tonnes in the fee system was introduced in 2016 by current opposition politician Edgars Tavars — then parliamentary secretary at the MoT — and by then-Transport Minister Uldis Augulis (ZZS), who today represents a coalition party in Parliament.
Earlier today, before the President’s announcement, Švinka stated that the MoT will propose extending the annual period during which farmers are exempt from the road-use fee. Currently, farmers registered with the Rural Support Service do not need a vignette from the 10th of July to the 30th of September during harvest season. Švinka now proposes extending the exemption to cover the period from the 1st of March to the 30th of November.
He added that the ministry will also introduce amendments to provide support for large families and returning emigrants (reemigrants) in the 3–3.5-tonne vehicle category by offering a 50% discount on one cargo vehicle owned by such a family.
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