In 1996, they were not yet called low emission zones but environmental zones.
It was Sweden which was a pioneer in this area in Europe by prohibiting the circulation in the city center of diesel trucks and coaches weighing more than 3.5 tonnes in Malmö and Stockholm.
In 2005, the regions of northern Italy came together to set up
low emission zones
operating in winter.
In July 2007, it was the turn of the Netherlands to adopt the principle of EPZs before Berlin and London did so the following year.
According to a report by the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (Ademe), "the number of planned European projects then continued to increase, almost monthly, to reach in March 2009 a sixty EPZs across eight European countries and 180 three years later”.
In April 2020, there were 247
low emission zones
across 13 European countries: England, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Czech Republic and Sweden.
In Germany, 87 cities now have a zone prohibited for the most polluting vehicles.
It is the second most important country in terms of the number of EPZs after Italy.
The perimeter of these zones varies from city to city.
The operation of the
low emission zones
in Italy, where some cities have introduced urban tolls, is not always continuous.
Some only operate in the cold season (usually between October and March), or only during part of the day.
In Europe, the perimeter of these zones varies from one city to another, as do the vehicles authorized to drive there and the derogations put in place.
Checks can be done randomly or via automated license plate reading systems.
PV can reach several hundred euros.
In the Kazimierz district in Krakow, Poland, the ban applies to all vehicles except those running on hydrogen, electricity or gas.
“However, certain vehicles can circulate without restriction, explains Ademe.
Such as residents of the district, municipal vehicles, vehicles of contractors located in the area on the condition of buying a new vehicle in 2025, doctors, etc..”