The end of the environmental sticker and LEZs in France?

Is Crit’Air in trouble? A vote in the commission of the French National Assembly recommends abolishing low emission zones (LEZs) in France. The final decision will be announced soon.

This was indeed a surprise. It's not that the French Crit’Air system is complex, but rather the abolition of LEZs was voted for by a parliamentary committee this Wednesday, 26 March 2025. Don’t rejoice too quickly if you own an older vehicle or plan to visit a city with LEZs: the system’s end hasn't yet been confirmed. However, numerous municipalities are dragging their feet to delay the implementation of LEZs, especially with upcoming municipal elections.

Put on hold

In response to the rebellion, the law commission made a proposal that could lead to a freeze of the LEZs for 5 years. What happens afterwards is uncertain. Either they'll be abolished or retained. The voters' motivation is that environmental measures as implemented in France may be socially unfair to a portion of the population. Moreover, there are doubts about their effectiveness in improving air quality. Therefore, the future of LEZs will notably depend on air pollution measurements and the availability of real alternatives to personal cars.

Not just yet

Hence, it shouldn't be assumed that the Crit’Air sticker can be discarded today or that one could return to Paris with an Euro 4 Diesel. Indeed, this vote only initiated a bill that must now be examined, discussed, and potentially voted on by deputies in plenary session. The scheduled date is the 7th of April. If passed and accepted, it must then go through the Senate with the risk of shuttling depending on the votes and amendments. In short, opponents of Crit’Air and LEZs must still hold their breath…

(MH with Olivier Duquesne – Source: LCI, Le Monde, Caradisiac & Le Blog Auto – Picture: © picture alliance / Anadolu | Mohamad Salaheldin Abdelg Alsayed)