Traffic in the center of Tres Cantos (Madrid), one of the cities that have not yet started the procedures to establish a low emission zone: Santi Burgos
The government is increasing pressure on cities that are yet to set up their environmental zones (ZBE), which Spain’s 151 cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants have been obliged to do since January 1. Nine months later, only 14 have one of these areas, although the Ministry of Ecological Transition tells EL PAÍS that 120 are already working on their projects. This leaves 17 without starting the procedures or reporting them to the ministry. The Executive will release a map this Monday to show who they are and although it refuses to reveal their names until then, a count by EL PAÍS shows that among them are Tres Cantos and Valdemoro (Madrid), Motril (Granada ), Barakaldo (Bizkaia) and Ferrol (A Coruña). This information opens the door to future complaints from environmentalists. Traffic threatens the recalcitrants – and those who degrade their projects – with withdrawal of European funds, while the Basque Ombudsman has already requested information from the six Basque towns involved.
Although the legal obligation – contained in the Climate Protection Act – has been in force since the beginning of the year, the government has so far not wanted to eliminate the issue in order not to interfere in the local elections in May. In general, new traffic restrictions are unpopular when first applied, although over the months citizens appreciate their benefits. After the elections and after the formation of the new city councils, several municipalities governed by PP and Vox have threatened to reduce or postpone their ZBEs despite the European commitment, which has worried the ecological transition. For this reason, the Executive has proposed to focus on this issue.
As a first measure, the department of Vice-President Teresa Ribera will launch a comprehensive tool this Monday to show the 151 municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants that are obliged to set up their environmental zones, i.e. areas where traffic or parking of vehicles is prohibited. more pollutants to improve air quality. Each of them shows the processing status of the ZBE (in operation, in progress or not yet started) as well as the respective characteristics (size, location and restrictions). This information also reaches the drivers’ GPS via the maps of the Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT).
According to a census by EL PAÍS, municipalities that have not yet reported a case to the ministry include Tres Cantos (PP) and Valdemoro (PP and Vox), both in Madrid; Ferrol (PP), in A Coruña; Motril (PP and Más Motril), in Granada; and Barakaldo (PNV and PSOE) in Bizkaia. The other 12 will be announced this Monday when the tool is released.
A man and a child ride their bikes through the new environmental zone of Reina Sofía Park in La Línea de la Concepción.MARCOS MORENO
In the meantime, the Ministry of Transport will monitor all municipal measures supported by the European Next Generation fund, covering dozens of low-emission zones. The aim is to check that they are carried out as announced – even if the party leading the city council has changed – without compromising the project presented and within the deadline indicated in the request (in many cases already before the end of the year). Gijón and Valladolid, for example, have already announced that they want to reduce their future restricted area to a minimum, in the second case by modifying a ZBE project that has already begun.
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“The funding is based on regulatory principles that define obligations: you have to complete the measure on time and maintain it for at least five years. If you don’t comply, you have to return the money,” said María José Rallo, Secretary General for Transport, on Thursday.
Eliminate cycle paths
In fact, this ministry has already started the procedure for the recent elimination of a cycle lane in Logroño (the one on Avenida Portugal), which has received more than two million euros from the same European funding program. Raquel Sánchez’s department indicates that it has sent a letter to the Rioja City Council to warn it that it has not approved this change, that it has not been requested through the channel indicated and that it also ” could inflict considerable damage”, which is why there is a risk that the funds granted will be reclaimed. Logroño replies that “the reorganization of the cycling axis is based on safety reports” and that “the change was communicated to the ministry through the established administrative channel”. The return of such an item can pose a serious economic problem for a medium or small community.
More information
What is not possible is the imposition of fines directly by the state on municipalities that do not comply with the regulations, since neither the law nor the decree provide for a sanctioning system. Another option, meanwhile, could be a rebate on transfers from the general state budget to the wayward councils, although the government reckons it would be very complicated to apply.
In any case, the information that Ecological Transition is releasing this Monday will be vital for citizens to consider whether their city council is committed to reducing pollution in their community, opening them up the opportunity to lodge complaints or claims to non-compliant parties. The big environmental organizations are therefore even considering going to court. “We already have it in mind, but we haven’t made the decision yet because we would have to go from one town hall to the next and that makes it difficult to access environmental justice,” emphasizes Miguel Ángel Ceballos of Ecologistas en Acción.
Carlos Bravo from the NGO Transport & Environment points out: “Going to court is on the table and I am a supporter. But we must coordinate and also coordinate with Greenpeace, Ecodes, Fundación Renovables and other entities with which we work on this issue.” Another possibility is that environmental protests are organized, as happened in Madrid in 2019, as thousands People took to the streets to defend Madrid Central against the attacks of the newly elected mayor Almeida, who wanted to eliminate it. In the end, Spain’s first low emission zone changed its name, but remained in place and was even expanded this year.
Another option for citizens and entities is to contact both the Ombudsman and their regional contacts so that these institutions can request information from the councils. The Ararteko – Basque ombudsman – launched an ex officio lawsuit in March. “The regulations should have come into force on January 1st and have not yet been applied. “That’s why we launched an action to see whether the six Basque councils act or not,” says a spokeswoman. These are Bilbao, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Donostia/San Sebastián, Getxo, Barakaldo and Irún. The file is not finalized yet. Meanwhile, Ángel Gabilondo’s office points out that it has not yet received any complaints or taken any action in this regard.
Four new traffic-calmed areas
As EL PAÍS reported in August, there are currently 14 environmental zones in Spain (compared to the 151 required in 2022 according to the INE). The last four to join this summer were A Coruña (in La Marina and Ciudad Vieja), Badalona (in a large part of the urban area), Córdoba (coinciding with the old restricted traffic zone) and La Línea de La Concepción (in Princesa Sofia Park). According to the Ministry of Ecological Transition, these are in addition to those existing at the beginning of the year in Madrid, Barcelona, Cornellà de Llobregat, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Pamplona, Pontevedra, Rivas-Vaciamadrid. Sant Cugat del Vallès, Seville and Zaragoza (the last two came into force earlier this year). In addition, there are three cities with fewer than 50,000 inhabitants where ZBEs are in force: Esplugues de Llobregat, Sant Adrià del Besòs and Sant Joan Despí, all in the Barcelona metropolitan area.
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