In public deliberation, the Council took note of a Presidency progress report on a proposal for a Directive amending Directive 1999/62/EC on the charging of heavy goods vehicles for the use of certain infrastructures.
Work on the proposal will continue under the Czech Presidency. The Council's preparatory bodies will focus in particular on the legal basis of the proposal, scope, external costs (especially road congestion), earmarking of charges and the methods for calculating external costs.
The Commission submitted its proposal in July 2008.
The European Parliament should adopt its opinion at first reading in March 2009.