The report aims to draw lessons for France from the experiences of other European countries with the establishment of low-emission zones. This concerns Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain and Italy. “Low-emission zones have been rolled out successfully and have been well accepted in those countries,” she said. These examples demonstrate the feasibility of the French legal obligation to set the minimum standard Euro 4 in 2024 and Euro 5 in 2025 for light diesel vehicles, in the LEZ for cities where air quality rules are not regularly respected, such as Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Rouen and Strasbourg.
An improvement in air quality was also observed in low-emission areas. For example, the air in London contains at least 23 percent less nitrogen than it did before the introduction of the LEZ.
On a financial level, the report recommends strengthening assistance to residents of the five urban areas above the pollution limits, and to businesses close to the LEZ limits. The report also suggests encouraging the transition to hybrid vehicles, and considers the implementation of automated camera monitoring to be “essential”.
