25 Apr 17
News

Low Emission Zones are expanding across Europe

Low Emission Zones are on the march across Europe. An LEZ is an urban centre with restricted access to certain types of more polluting cars. Depending on place and/or time, it could become expensive – or even impossible – to drive certain diesel cars into city centres. The aim is to improve the air quality, which is abysmal in many cities throughout Europe. The long-term effect of these LEZs, as the measures increase in geographic scope and for the types of vehicles they prohibit or restrict, will be a profound, dissuasive effect on the types of cars that are bought, both by private consumers and by corporate fleets. 

For a glimpse of this future, take a look at the Fleet Europe Taxation Guide 2017, which zooms in on a variety of fiscal measures across Europe that establish LEZs. For example, in Belgium, the city centre of Antwerp has been turned into an LEZ, which will be restricted to cars with an older Euro emission norm. Brussels may follow the example of Antwerp. Another example mentioned by the guide is the Paris LEZ, in effect since the start of this year: the first, but not the last LEZ in France. 

The Fleet Europe Taxation Guide 2017 is hot off the presses, and can be ordered here.

Image: Martin Addison, CC BY-SA 2.0

Authored by: Frank Jacobs