Slovenia launches short-term motorway passes from July

(LJUBLJANA) - Slovenia will launch one-week and one-month motorway passes next month in response to EU criticism that longer-term permits discriminated against foreign visitors, the government said Friday.

The price of the one-week toll was set at 15 euros (21 dollars) and the one-month sticker at 30 euros, the government said in a statement.

However the price of a 12-month vignette was increased to 95 euros from 55 euros currently.

Stickers for motorcycles will cost half the price of those for cars.

Slovenia introduced six-month and 12-month motorway stickers for cars and motorbikes a year ago, in a bid to boost highway use and simplify travelling in the Alpine state, which borders Austria, Croatia, Hungary and Italy.

But the European Commission criticised the move in October, arguing that it discriminated against foreign visitors, who had to pay for a six-month pass even if they used the Slovenian motorway network for a short period of time.

The commission then requested that Slovenia allow foreigners transiting through the country to buy tax discs covering a shorter period.

Nevertheless, according to local media reports, EU Transport Commissioner Antonio Tajani has suggested that the price for one-week stickers was too high and that could lead to a new warning against Ljubljana.