The European Commission has sent Italy a reasoned opinion for failing to ensure that toll motorways in Sicily are compatible with the European Electronic Toll Service (EETS), giving the country two months to demonstrate full interoperability.
The move is part of an ongoing infringement procedure under Directive (EU) 2019/520, which requires Member States to allow road users to pay tolls across the EU using a single contract and one on-board unit, regardless of the country in which they travel.
Sicily still excluded from EU toll system
According to the European Commission, Italy has not completed the necessary technical and administrative measures to allow EETS providers to operate on parts of the Sicilian motorway network. As a result, toll systems on the island remain isolated from the EU-wide electronic tolling framework, preventing seamless cross-border toll payments.
The Commission argues that this situation undermines the functioning of the internal market, particularly for international road transport operators who rely on interoperable tolling systems to move efficiently across borders.
The reasoned opinion represents the second formal step in the EU infringement process, following an earlier letter of formal notice sent to Italy on the same issue.
Two-month deadline before court referral
Italy now has two months to either:
- demonstrate that full EETS interoperability has been achieved on Sicilian motorways, or
- submit a credible and binding timetable for completing the necessary upgrades.
If the Commission is not satisfied with Italy’s response, it may refer the case to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), which could eventually lead to financial penalties.
Specialist transport media Transporto Europa reports that the lack of EETS compatibility in Sicily continues to affect freight operators and international drivers, who are forced to rely on local payment systems or manual toll collection when operating on the island.
This contradicts the core objective of the EETS framework, which is designed to reduce administrative burdens, lower costs for transport companies, and support the free movement of goods within the EU, the outlet notes.
Long-running compliance issue
The case forms part of a broader effort by the Commission to enforce EU toll interoperability rules across Member States. While EETS is already operational on most of Italy’s mainland motorway network, Sicily remains a notable gap, several years after the directive’s transposition deadline.
The Commission included the decision in its December infringement package, which lists Member States failing to comply with EU law across multiple policy areas.
