The European Commission has outlined a flexible, case-by-case approach to evaluating residence-based tariffs, declining to set fixed EU-wide rules. In a written answer to a parliamentary question from Gerald Hauser of the PfE group, Executive Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné said the Commission assesses such measures based on criteria including infrastructure capacity, public financing extent, geographical reach, quotas, and time limits. He stressed that any tariff must be legitimate, appropriate, necessary, and proportionate, and noted the Commission is not currently aware of any EU projects using residence-based tariffs.
This response follows a series of recent Commission engagements on transport and competition issues. On April 14, Séjourné signaled a hands-on approach to ensure the A22 motorway concession in Italy complies with EU law, after a parliamentary question raised concerns about pre-emption rights and in-house award criteria in light of a Court of Justice ruling (Case C-810/24). The Commission had already contacted Italian authorities on April 18 to gather details on the concession procedure. Separately, on April 19, the Hellenic Competition Commission began probing a single-lane tunnel system on the Igoumenitsa-Panagia motorway, where full tolls are charged despite reduced service, raising EU-law compliance questions.
On the broader competition front, the Commission is weighing resilience alongside competition in merger reviews, as President Ursula von der Leyen pushes to foster European champions. On April 19, she asked Competition Commissioner Teresa Ribera to prepare a proposal this month that would place equal emphasis on resilience—the capacity to endure supply disruptions—alongside traditional considerations. However, on April 18, Ribera warned that mergers cannot replace market integration and cautioned member states against using resilience and security exemptions to back domestic winners. She argued that industrial restructuring is hampered by fragmented national markets rather than EU merger rules.
In the aviation sector, Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič on April 16 defended the EU-Qatar aviation deal, aiming to maintain transparency without suspension. He reaffirmed the Commission's commitment to the agreement's transparency clauses while keeping the deal operational, supporting Qatar Airways' market access and monitoring financial exchanges. This followed a parliamentary question from MEPs across S&D, The Left, Renew, and Verts/ALE groups, who had scrutinized whether Qatar Airways is fully transparent about subsidies and whether the EU would suspend the agreement pending corruption investigations.
Additionally, on April 18, EU lawmakers urged the Commission to probe FIFA World Cup ticketing for competition concerns, arguing FIFA's exclusive primary seller role could constitute an abuse of dominance. The Commission's case-by-case stance on residence-based tariffs reflects a broader pattern of balancing local flexibility with EU fundamental freedoms, leaving stakeholders—municipalities, tourism businesses, and residents—to navigate legal uncertainty while the Commission monitors and assesses individual measures.