The Minister for Climate Action of the Generalitat, David Mascort, has affirmed that the Government plans to approve in the coming weeks the Air Quality Plan, which plans to prohibit the circulation of vehicles with a yellow label (B) in Low-lying Areas Emissions (ZBE) from January 1, 2028.
He said this in statements this Wednesday in Barcelona, ??where he specified that the ban would be for Catalan municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants and those with more than 20,000 inhabitants that “exceed the air quality limit values”, as established by state law. of climate change.
The plan foresees for municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants the prohibition as of January 1, 2026 of the circulation of yellow-label diesel vehicles “on days of episodes of high NO2 pollution”, and in the case of For more than 20,000 inhabitants, this restriction will not be until January 1, 2028.
Mascort recalled that this plan has been in the works for “a couple of years” and that it has the consensus of the town councils, and has pointed out that the ZBEs must be established “in 25% of the municipality” in question, but that they may vary. depending on the locality and in some it will be 22% or 23% of their area.
Asked if the Government can approve this plan in the coming weeks in the context of elections in Catalonia, Mascort has assured that the Executive, even if it is in office, “can process everything that is ordinary, such as a decree that has already gone all the way. , which should be able to be approved”.
Regarding whether he will need the endorsement of the next Government to carry out this decree, he has considered no and has predicted that “at the end of May there will still be no Government or the new Parliament will be about to be formed, and the acting Government must be able to approve it “.
The plan establishes that the ZBE projects of the different municipalities must incorporate the schedule planned by the municipality, the minimum surface area of ??these areas – which can be progressive implementation -, the content of the projects and the restrictions on vehicle access, and the system for monitoring the evolution of air quality will also be regulated.
In addition, it contemplates exceptional authorizations for vehicles that do not meet environmental requirements and exceptions, such as emergency and essential services, people with illnesses or disabilities, low-income families or people with reduced mobility.
For a period of one year from the implementation of the ZBE, residents will be able to access the ZBE, regardless of their label, up to a maximum of 52 days per year, and vans and goods distribution vehicles without a label have a period maximum exemption of three years; and each municipality will be able to finish making the pertinent specifications.
The Generalitat’s plan, which represents a total new investment of 21.8 million euros, provides for support measures for local entities to implement ZBEs, such as the preparation of a standard ordinance by the Autoritat de Transport Metropolitana (ATM ) of Barcelona, ??a digital platform for electronic management of authorizations or an awareness campaign.
The draft decree establishes that urban plans must incorporate specific measures to reduce atmospheric pollution, and also noise pollution in the case of newly implemented sectors with residential, healthcare or educational uses close to traffic routes with a maximum speed of 50 kilometers per kilometer. hour.
In the field of industry and energy, the plan indicates emission limit values ??for volatile organic compounds (VOCs); Environmental authorizations “associated with large sources of emissions” such as cement kilns, refineries or incinerators and other facilities will be reviewed; a plan for high levels of pollution -including contaminants such as benzene-; and the application of the tax on emissions from large ships.
