Spain’s government is moving to clamp down on low-emission zones that exist only on paper or operate with few restrictions. A royal decree approved by the Council of Ministers will require municipalities that are obliged to establish these zones to enforce them and fine polluting vehicles, without using transitional arrangements to delay their effect.
Under the 2021 Climate Change and Energy Transition Law, municipalities with more than 50,000 residents were due to introduce low-emission zones before 2023. The requirement applies to 151 municipalities, but only 68 had implemented a zone, according to the information provided. Many of those zones have limited restrictions or do not issue fines.
The decree is due to take effect once it is published in Spain’s official gazette, the BOE. Municipalities will then have to begin applying it, while the specific measures will depend on how each local council implements the rules. The text says grace periods without fines will not be allowed to continue indefinitely.
Some councils have defended their approach by arguing that low-emission zones discriminate against residents by pressuring them to buy newer vehicles. The article cites Vigo, where Mayor Abel Caballero said in 2025 that the city would have a zone without fines, and Ciudad Real, whose mayor, Francisco Cañizares, announced a version with no vehicle restrictions. Madrid’s ordinance allows cars without an environmental sticker to keep circulating if they are registered in the capital. In Valladolid, the regional High Court of Justice overturned the city’s zone less than a year after it took effect.
Sources: Motorpasión.