This paper analyses the external transport cost estimates that have been found in various European studies. These estimates seem at first glance to be highly dispersed, a fact which raises questions about their reliability. The article offers a list of the possible reasons for discrepancies between the various studies; differences in the specific situations studied, in the type of cost calculated, in the physical laws relating to emissions, in the measurement of values of external costs. It assesses the relative magnitude of each of these causes through a meta-analysis. It turns out that the main differences come from the specificity of the situation under review and the type of cost calculated. In comparison, differences in the laws and in the values methods have a lower importance. The conclusion is that the estimates of external costs are reliable for decision-making policies. (A) "Reprinted with permission from Elsevier".
Samenvatting