The climate change and energy transition law approved by Congress in May 2021 established, among other measures, the obligation that municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants have low emission zones (ZBE) “before 2023”. However, and despite the fact that there is very little left to reach that date, only two cities in the country have low emission zones that are currently working.
This is the case of the two largest cities in Spain, Madrid Y Barcelona, which before the promulgation of the norm already began to implement measures to limit the access of the most polluting vehicles to certain areas of the city. The capital first had Madrid Central, a rule approved by the Government of Manuela Carmena and which has now been replaced by Madrid 360promulgated by the administration of José Luis Martínez-Almeida.
For its part, Barcelona, which has had one of the most ambitious low-emission zones in Europe since 2020 due to its size (almost 100 square kilometers), received a harsh legal setback in March from the Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia, which annulled the ZBE for considering it “excessive”. Nevertheless, Barcelona’s low-emissions zone will continue to operate until the ruling is final. For the implementation of these regulations, Barcelona and Madrid have followed very different paths, with different deadlines for implementation and exceptions. These are the rules of each city:
Madrid
The sustainable mobility ordinance approved by the City Council of the capital establishes that, since last January 1, passenger cars that are not registered in Madrid and that do not have a DGT label (that is, those gasoline cars registered before 2001 and those of diesel registered before 2006), they will not be able to circulate in the areas of the city that are within the ring of the M-30. These districts are Centro, Arganzuela, Retiro, Salamanca, Chamartín, Tetuán, Chamberí and partially Moncloa-Aravaca (neighborhoods of Argüelles, Colonia del Manzanares and part of Ciudad Universitaria). The M-30 itself is exempt from this restriction. Today there is an informative period in which the Consistory has not started to issue finessomething that will begin to do from May and that will amount to 200 euros.
Next year, the measure will be toughened by including the M-30 itself in these restrictions. In 2024, passenger cars without an environmental label and that are not registered in the city will not be able to circulate in the municipality of Madrid, unless they are cars used to transport people with reduced mobility or are considered historic. Vehicles that are not passenger cars, that is, motorcycles, vans, trucks and coaches, are free from the restrictions until 2025, after which time no vehicle without a label will be able to access Madrid, except for the exceptions mentioned above.
In addition, there are the low emission areas of special protection of the Center and Plaza Elíptica. The first of these prevents access to cars without a label and vehicles with a B or C label will only be able to do so to park in a private garage or in a public parking lot. Cars with an ECO label can circulate and park in the SER zone for a maximum of two hours; while zero-label vehicles have no restrictions. This regulation does not apply to residents who live in the center and to businessmen who have premises in the area.
For its part, in Plaza Elíptica, cars without an environmental label from the DGT will not be able to circulate, except for those residents of the Abrantes, Opañel and Comillas neighborhoods of the Carabanchel district and in the Moscardó and Zofío de Usera neighborhoods. They can also pass the vehicles of businessmen with a local in the area and vehicles used for the transport of people with reduced mobility. These exceptions are in effect until 2025.
Barcelona
The Low Emissions Zone of the Ciudad Condal includes Barcelona, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Sant Adrià de Besòs, and part of Esplugues de Llobregat and Cornellà de Llobregat. Passenger cars, motorcycles, mopeds and commercial vehicles that do not have an environmental label cannot circulate through it between 7:00 and 20:00 from Monday to Friday.
For trucks without a label, Barcelona City Council agreed with carriers a moratorium so that they continue to circulate until June 30, 2022; while coaches without a label will be able to continue doing so throughout the year. The only exceptions to entering the Low Emissions Zone are cars transporting people with reduced mobility and emergency vehicles.
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