CTS, Kapsch claim half billion euro from Germany over failed road toll

Kapsch TrafficCom AG

19/12/2019 14:58

BERLIN, Dec 19 (Reuters) - CTS Eventim and Kapsch which were
due to operate a road toll on German motorways -- had it not
been blocked by a EU court decision -- through a joint venture,
will seek damages of around 560 million euros  ($622.78 million)
from the German state, CTS said.
    "... the contractually agreed payments claims against the
Federal Republic of Germany amount to a total of approx. EUR 560
millions...," CTS said in an adhoc statement, adding that an
independent auditor would now review the amount.
    A European court in June ruled that a road toll Germany
intended to implement was illegal as it was discriminatory in
effect against citizens of neighbouring countries.
    After the decision, the cancellation of the contracts with
the CTS and Kapsch by Germany's Transport Ministry has led to a
political spat in Berlin, including the creation of a
parliamentary inquiry commission and calls for Germany's
conservative transport minister, Andreas Scheuer, to resign.  
    
    ($1 = 0.8992 euros)

 (Reporting by Tassilo Hummel
Editing by Michael Nienaber)
 ((Tassilo.Hummel@thomsonreuters.com; + 49 30 2888 51 26;
Reuters Messaging: tassilo.hummel.thomsonreuters@reuters.net))