European pricing doctrines and the EU reform

European Union has launched a pricing reform aiming at achieving a uniformized system of infrastructures charges based on Social Marginal Cost. This reform has encountered some objections and obstacles ; the national systems move slowly, while a variety of doctrines are supported – and remain the bases – for policy decisions in each country. In order to achieve the goal of uniformization, it is necessary to have a clear view of these doctrines, to analyze their discrepancies, and to examine whether they can be reconciled. This paper explores these issues. In the second section, the benchmark of the European Union reform, ie the principle of Social Marginal Cost (SMC) is presented along with the framework of the European reform in which it is embedded. The third section is devoted to the presentation and classification of countries standpoints according to the infrastructure charging issue. In the fourth section is presented an assessment of these standpoints in terms of the concerns of the decision-makers, and in terms of economic analysis, comparing SMC with the alternative doctrines. The last section is devoted to the ways through which it is possible to reconcile these doctrines.