In August, Mobility Portal Europe reported exclusively that Brussels became the centre of debate after an in-depth discussion on the introduction of local taxes on public charging points in the capital.
In this context, the Chief Operating Officer of EV Belgium, Philippe Vangeel, states:
“At that time, there was a lot of attention, but that is all. Given the recent elections, we will have to see what becomes of this idea.”
However, the situation has not been fully resolved, particularly in the municipalities that implemented these taxes unilaterally.
Romain Denayer, Coordinator of the association, notes that this issue is linked to the current political landscape.
“The latest we heard was that the 19 municipalities of Brussels had some form of preliminary agreement to introduce a tax on chargers in the public domain,” he elaborates.
After the October elections, which resulted in changes in local political leaders in both the capital and other municipalities, this process slowed down.
“This situation creates some uncertainty and does not address the measures already individually implemented by two municipalities in Brussels,” Denayer states.
This local ambiguity makes it difficult to know the current state of the discussion and real impact in the long run.
Among the locations that began imposing this trend are Sint-Gillis and Ixelles, where annual fees of 180 and 280 euros per chargepoint (360 and 560 per station) were introduced, respectively.
“The problem persists in those municipalities that implemented this measure unilaterally, and furthermore, the second discussion about joint actions to be taken by the 19 municipalities is still pending,” he highlights.
For his part, Sander Hereijgers, CEO of Pluginvest, criticises these measures for contradicting European and regional policies that promote electromobility.
“It is unfortunate that these initiatives are being taken at the local level,” he remarks.
While the European Union (EU) and the Belgian federal authorities promote the transition to sustainable mobility, these local taxes threaten to create barriers.
“No one really benefits from these taxes; they only increase the cost of charging sessions and discourage electrification,” he asserts.
He continues: “The 125 euros annual tax per charging point -as proposed- weakens the business model of operators and affects the most vulnerable users, who depend on public infrastructure to charge their vehicles.”
In this regard, he emphasises that users should have access to charging stations in public spaces, particularly in urban areas, as many do not have the means to install a private one.
“From a social perspective, this is regrettable, as access to public infrastructure should be facilitated for those who need it, eliminating barriers that hinder the adoption of electric vehicles,” he argues.
What is expected?
“That they come to their senses and do not implement it at all, or consider something more intelligent,” expresses Romain Denayer.
EV Belgium is waiting to observe how the situation evolves politically.
“Since the elections in October, the new local political powers may lead to a renewed discussion, with a more formal decision for or against the taxation”, warns Philippe Vangeel.
A domino effect?
“Although for now there are no signs that other regions or municipalities will implement similar measures, we want to prevent this from inspiring other municipalities to follow suit,” assures Vangeel.
EV Belgium, along with its member companies have drafted a formal position to share with any interested stakeholders.
Moreover, this issue creates legal uncertainty.
As expressed by Sven Gatz, the outgoing Minister of Finance for Brussels, at the time, these taxes contravene a regional ordinance from 2022 that prohibits taxes affecting economic development.
The results of the judicial investigations are still pending.
Does it impact the industry?
Companies such as EnergyVision have decided to move their headquarters from Brussels to Ghent in the Flemish region to show discontent with the proposed measure.
Other stakeholders, according to Denayer, face the decision of either absorbing the costs or passing them onto the end user, a dilemma that discourages both investment and the use of charging infrastructure.
Vangeel emphasises that any tax should be “fair and reasonable, this proposal is neither.”
“It is unfair for users who can’t charge at home or at the office, and is unreasonable because it creates an additional barrier to charging operators, while they are supporting economic development and durable mobility,” he adds.
EV Belgium is thus not in favor of the rates and calls on the political stakeholders -who still consider introducing it- to take into account the economic and social aspects of such taxation, and consider other solutions in collaboration with the industry.
The lack of coordination between levels of government is a key obstacle, which is expected to be resolved once the current local political landscape concludes.
Despite the challenges, Hereijgers remains optimistic: “There are still many believers in electrification.”
“It is crucial to raise our voices as a sector and seek support to ensure a sustainable future,” he concludes.
