The Belgian vignette could be suspended at the border. At least, that is the arrangement Luxembourg now wishes to put forward in its negotiations with Wallonia. The government has asked its Walloon counterpart about “the possibility of establishing a border zone exempt from the charge”. This exemption would safeguard the local travel essential to the functioning of cross-border communities, it explains in its reply of 21 August to a parliamentary question from the MP .
The Belgian scheme is due to come into force in spring 2027. Wallonia, Flanders and Brussels have agreed on a common digital vignette, applicable to cars, mixed-use vehicles and vans weighing less than 3.5 tonnes, whether registered in Belgium or abroad.
From €90 to €125 a year
For a Euro 4 or higher vehicle, the announced charge is €100 per year. It is set at €125 for Euro 0 to 3 vehicles and at €90 for zero-emission vehicles. Packages covering 24 hours, ten days, one month and two months are also available.
Enforcement will rely, in particular, on cameras capable of recognising number plates and on mobile patrols. A first offence would be punishable by an administrative fine of €70, which could be doubled or tripled in the event of a repeat offence.
These parameters are still subject to political agreement. A cooperation agreement between the three Regions is yet to be finalised, whilst each of them must draw up its own draft legislation. The proposal will then have to be notified to the European authorities. Wallonia, , also states that the measure is expected to be broadly neutral for its own motorists, thanks to a reform of vehicle taxation that is still under consideration.
Towards the local network
Luxembourg highlights the high level of integration within the Greater Region. Its primary concern is the additional burden on residents who use the Belgian road network on a daily basis. It also raises the possibility of a decline in business for local shops and, more broadly, in the economic vitality of border areas. Finally, the government fears that some motorists may avoid the roads subject to the vignette charge by using local roads instead. In its view, such a shift would affect road safety, the environment and the quality of life in neighbouring municipalities.
However, these concerns are not yet based on an assessment provided by Belgium. The Grand Duchy has therefore asked Wallonia to forward any comprehensive impact assessment of the project, covering its economic, social and environmental consequences as well as traffic diversions. The government also wishes to know whether exemptions will be granted to police vehicles, the fire service and emergency services. It points out that the charge must comply with the principles of the free movement of persons, the freedom to provide services, the freedom of establishment and the prohibition of discrimination on grounds of nationality.
The government’s response does not confirm that the Belgian authorities officially informed Luxembourg prior to the announcement of the agreement. It points out that the vignette had featured in the programmes of the Walloon and Flemish governments since 2024 and that the matter had been raised on 23 March 2026 during a bilateral meeting at the Gäichel. It was only after the announcement that the legislative process had been initiated that the Grand Duchy said it took steps to approach Wallonia.
The issue now extends beyond the relationship between Belgium and Luxembourg alone. Luxembourg has contacted the French, German and Dutch governments to discuss the potential consequences of the vignette. These discussions are taking place at a time when several road-charging schemes are in place or being prepared in the vicinity of the Grand Duchy, though they do not target the same road users.
Stickers in Germany and Lorraine
In the Grand Est region, a per-kilometre eco-charge is due to come into force on 1 April 2027 on part of the road network transferred to the Region. It will apply to heavy goods vehicles weighing over 3.5 tonnes carrying goods, and not to private cars. The routes concerned include, in particular, the A31, A313, A30 and RN52 in Lorraine, as well as the A33, RN4, RN44 and RN431. Enforcement will rely on on-board equipment for regular users or on a prior declaration of the journey for occasional users.
Since January 2025, the Grand Est Region has been managing 525 kilometres of national roads and motorways not under concession. It plans to use the revenue from the eco-levy to maintain this network, fund its modernisation and support the decarbonisation of freight transport. The Region, , estimates that between 60% and over 90% of the heavy goods vehicles on the routes transferred come from outside the Grand Est region.
A second issue is emerging further north with the A31 bis. Certain new sections of this infrastructure, notably the future Thionville bypass, are to form part of a concession scheme. Their use could, therefore, be subject to a toll. However, this would not involve either a Lorraine road tax sticker or a general charge on the current road network, but rather the financing of new infrastructure, the details of which have yet to be finalised. The Grand Est Region has, moreover, stated that it has no intention of financing a concession falling within the remit of the State. Its position on the A31 bis .
Germany, too, operates a kilometre-based toll for heavy goods vehicles. Its motorways, however, remain toll-free for private cars. Berlin had attempted to introduce a vehicle charge, offset for vehicles registered in Germany by a reduction in the national vehicle tax. The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled against this scheme in 2019, finding that its economic impact fell mainly on the owners and drivers of foreign vehicles.