This Directive applies to vehicle taxes, tolls and user charges imposed on vehicles as defined in Article 2.
This Directive shall not affect vehicles carrying out transport operations exclusively in the non-European territories of the Member States.
It shall also not affect vehicles registered in the Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla, the Azores or Madeira and carrying out transport operations exclusively in those territories or between those territories and, respectively, mainland Spain and mainland Portugal.
For the purposes of this Directive:
(a) "motorway" means a road specially designed and built for motor traffic, which does not serve properties bordering on it, and which:
(i) is provided, except at special points or temporarily, with separate carriageways for the two directions of traffic, separated from each other either by a dividing strip not intended for traffic or, exceptionally, by other means;
(ii) does not cross at grade with any road, railway or tramway track, or footpath;
(iii) is specifically designated as a motorway;
(b) "toll" means payment of a specified amount for a vehicle travelling the distance between two points on the infrastructures referred to in Article 7(2); the amount shall be based on the distance travelled and the type of the vehicle;
(c) "user charge" means payment of a specified amount conferring the right for a vehicle to use for a given period the infrastructures referred to in Article 7(2);
(d) "vehicle" means a motor vehicle or articulated vehicle combination intended exclusively for the carriage of goods by road and having a maximum permissible gross laden weight of not less than 12 tonnes;
(e) "EURO I vehicle" means a vehicle having the characteristics set out in line A of the table in Section 8.3.1.1 of Annex I to Council Directive 88/77/EEC of 3 December 1987 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the measures to be taken against the emission of gaseous and particulate pollutants from diesel engines for use in vehicles(10);
(f) "EURO II vehicle" means a vehicle having the characteristics set out in line B of the table in section 8.3.1.1 of Armex I to Directive 88/77/EEC.
CHAPTER II
Vehicle taxation
