Since the start of the year, low emission zones known as ZBE have become mandatory for 150 municipalities across Spain to curb road traffic pollution. Some cities began the procedures to establish these urban areas, while others faced delays that prompted calls from motorist and environmental groups to speed up the process.
Effective January 1, 2023, all Spanish municipalities including island regions with more than 50,000 inhabitants and those exceeding pollution limits in municipalities with populations over 20,000 are required to enforce ZBEs in their regions.
Roughly 150 municipalities, home to about 25 million people or about half the country’s population according to multiple organizations, are in line to implement ZBEs. These areas typically include measures such as restricting access for certain vehicles, promoting public transport, and expanding charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.
Municipalities obligated to establish ZBEs are listed in a dedicated link. Estimates from automotive industry groups, reported by Europa Press, suggest these measures will affect nearly four million vehicles without environmental labels out of around 11.5 million cars circulating in Spanish cities that should have ZBEs by 2023.
Yet despite the scope, many municipalities have not yet defined the local regulations that would govern the exact operation of ZBEs. In practice, drivers may not notice immediate changes from day to day.
Operations started in only 20 municipalities
In fact, last week the National Association of Rental Vehicles, Aneval, warned that only about 20 municipalities, roughly 13 percent, have begun introducing their measures. The association urged consulates to publish regulations as soon as possible and called on the General Directorate of Traffic to launch a platform to collect all municipal rules for low emission areas. The platform is expected to help services used by drivers, such as GPS apps, to warn about current restrictions.
Royal decree to issue ZBEs
The latest Council of Ministers meeting approved a Royal Decree that standardizes minimum requirements for affected municipalities. ZBEs can implement permanent or temporary policies including vehicle access controls, traffic limitations, and parking restrictions to improve air quality and curb greenhouse gas emissions according to vehicle emission classifications. These actions align with the General Regulation on Vehicle Use.
Regarding climate goals, the decree instructs municipalities to set measurable emission reduction targets for 2030 in line with the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan, aiming to reduce private car use in favor of other transport modes. Where pollution limits are met, exemptions may allow essential services to operate while justifying access for critical operations such as emergency response and waste collection.
There is also a projection that about 5 percent of car purchases in Spain will be influenced by the ZBE entering into force in 2023. This share remains lower than the proportion of buyers who purchase cars out of necessity, which stands around 80 percent, with a smaller portion driven by impulse at about 15 percent due to inflationary effects observed in prior years.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain’s hardest hit city
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An analysis by Sumauto at the end of October showed the Canary Islands recording the highest share of cars without environmental labels in Spain. Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Arrecife, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, and Arona reported the highest percentages of cars lacking the required environmental badge. Ourense in Galicia and Ponferrada and León in Castile and León followed closely with significant shares. In contrast, Almobendas, Boadilla del Monte, and Rivas Vaciamadrid in the Community of Madrid reported much lower shares of unlabelled vehicles.
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Environmental department contact details were not disclosed in this publication.