The change applies to trucks using roads in Flanders and will directly affect the amount charged for journeys. For many transport companies, it will therefore be crucial to quickly determine which class a specific vehicle should be assigned to.
Most diesel trucks in the lowest class, but there are exceptions
In practice, only in rare cases is the CO2 emissions class already listed in a vehicle’s documents. The vast majority of diesel trucks – from Euro 0 to Euro 6 – fall into Class 1.
However, there are models with exceptionally low fuel consumption that may be classified as Class 2, or even Class 3. This, in turn, means a slightly lower CO2 component in the per-kilometre toll rate.
Manufacturers are also waiting for an EU decision
The problem is that even manufacturers currently find it difficult to provide certain and complete information on the CO2 class for each vehicle. Kees Oostveen, Product Marketing Manager at Iveco Belgium, explains it plainly: the threshold values for the 2026 tax year are still not final, as the CO2 rules emissions reduction target is being revised from 30% to 43%.
As he adds, the decision at European level is most likely to be made only at the end of March. Only then – and after Flanders implements these arrangements – will it be possible to calculate whether a given vehicle falls into Class 1, 2 or 3.
Viapass calculator to launch in April
Support for carriers is to be provided by Viapass – the interregional body responsible for managing the per-kilometre tolls in Belgium. In April, a CO2 emissions class calculator is to appear on Viapass.be, which will make it possible to determine the class based on data from the vehicle’s documents.
The tool is to take into account, among other things, the engine type, date of first registration, vehicle type and subgroup. To use the calculator, the following will be required:
- registration certificate,
- Customer Information File (CIF),
- Certificate of Conformity (CoC).
After calculating the class, the system is to generate a document containing the information entered by the user and the resulting CO2 emissions class. Such a document can be provided to the service provider operator to update the parameters of the OBU on-board unit.
