The obligation to establish a ZFE is excluded when demonstrated “that the average annual concentrations in nitrogen dioxide (no₂) are less than or equal to 10 μg/m³”, specifies a decree published on Saturday at ” Official Journal “.
MO12345LEMONDE with AFP
Agglomerations of more than one hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants will not be forced to set up areas with low emissions (ZFE), under certain conditions. These were specified in a decree published on Saturday December 24 at Official Journal . The generalization of these areas is provided by law in forty-three agglomerations in mainland France on December 31, 2024, but derogations were provided and are thus formalized in a text.
The obligation to establish a ZFE is excluded when demonstrated “that the average annual concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (no₂) are less than or equal to 10 μg/m³ [micrograms per cubic meter]”, specifies The decree signed in particular by the Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne. This level corresponds to the thresholds of the World Health Organization (WHO), more demanding than current European limit values.
“It is difficult to know what are the agglomerations which, in 2025, will respect the thresholds of WHO”, said the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion. “But it is of the order of a few agglomerations, less than a dozen a priori, which should benefit from this derogation,” said this source to the France-Presse agency.
“The Implementation of ZFEs will only be mandatory when it is well necessary “
Agglomerations can also be exempt from ZFE if they offer alternative measures of equivalent effect.
They must demonstrate at the latest eighteen months before the initiation of obligation of establishment that the actions put in place make it possible to achieve the limits in nitrogen dioxide “within shorter or similar time to Those proceeding from the implementation of an area with low mobility emissions [ZFE-M] “, specifies the decree.
“The implementation of ZFEs will only be mandatory when it is well necessary,” said the ministry. “This derogation does not dilute anything in terms of public health” because “it does not lower the level of ambition towards air pollution”, insists this source.
The ZFEs already concern eleven French agglomerations, the first of which were Lyon, Grenoble and Paris. They aim to gradually prohibit the most polluting vehicles.