Netherlands joins Austria in suing German over motorway toll scheme

Amsterdam (dpa) - The Netherlands will join Austria in a European Court of Justice lawsuit against Germanylsquo;s plans for a motorway toll which would discriminate against foreigners, the Transportation Ministry announced Wednesday.The Netherlands had already telegraphed its intention when Austria filed the lawsuit in October. It argues that the German plan violates European guidelines."The cabinet finds, just like Austria, that the German motorway toll plan is discriminatory and violates the principles of free traffic flow," read a statement.The toll would cost Dutch car drivers between 60 million and 100 million euros (70.5 million and 117.5 million dollars) a year, the ministry estimates.Under the plan, German drivers are to be compensated for paying the toll through rebates on their motor vehicle taxes. However, drivers from other EU countries - such as Austria, Italy and France - would get no such rebate and pay the full amount.The law is the result of a compromise with the European Commission, which forced Berlin to make the toll fairer for non-Germans. Millions of drivers in neighbouring countries regularly use German roads.The motorway toll has long been a key demand of the Christian Social Union, the Bavaria-only sister party of Chancellor Angela Merkellsquo;s Christian Democrats.