Interoperability cannot be achieved by each nation adopting its own approach. Only if all those involved cooperate will it be possible to accelerate the liberal use of EFC systems and thus of the European road network. Against the background of increasing mileages on the roads of Europe, this paper describes the current status of the EFC systems that have been introduced and are planned in the member states and the activities undertaken so far to attain interoperability. Reservations and objections arise primarily on issues relating to technology. The debate on the fundamental approaches to creating interoperability for the use of EFC systems illustrates just how restricted the scope of the players involved is. With the description of the initial situation and the plans to introduce a distance-related toll in Germany, the paper shows that the German approach can be seen as a contribution to the efforts to achieve interoperability.
Abstract