The proposal to abolish low-emission zones, or zones à faibles émissions (ZFEs), was introduced through amendments submitted by right-wing and far-right lawmakers to a bill aimed at “simplifying” French laws. It was passed in parliament in April, but the bill was immediately referred to the Conseil Constitutionnel, France’s highest authority on constitutional matters and new laws. On Thursday, the Council ruled against the ZFE section of the bill, meaning that the low emission zones – enforced via the Crit’Air sticker system – will remain in
place. Introduced in France in 2019, these low-emission zones are designed to limit the flow of fine particulate emissions that can cause respiratory diseases and premature deaths by restricting certain vehicles from entering designated areas. Speaking to French broadcasters France Inter and France Culture, Anne Lassman-Trappier, president of the Haute-Savoie branch of France Nature Environnement (FNE), welcomed the decision to maintain the zones. “This is very good news for public health, particularly for the most vulnerable: children, the elderly and people living in precarious circumstances,”
she said. The FNE representative argued that low-emission zones “have proven their effectiveness” in cities where they have been “properly implemented”, citing “a 30 to 40 percent reduction in air pollution”. Lassman-Trappier also criticised the tone of the public debate in France, saying she was “stunned” by arguments portraying the measures as socially unfair. “On the contrary,” she said, these policies are “designed to protect the most vulnerable and fragile people, who often live alongside major roads and are the most exposed to air and
vehicle pollution”. There is no right of appeal against Council decisions, so motorists will still be required to display a valid Crit’Air vignette when driving in low-emission zones. READ ALSO: Crit’Air: How France’s vehicle emissions stickers work
Crit'Air, zones à faibles émissions, ZFE, low-emission zones, Conseil Constitutionnel, France Inter, France Culture, air pollution, fine particulate emissions, Anne Lassman-Trappier, Haute-Savoie, France Nature Environnement, FNE, Crit’Air vignette