Low Emission Zones in Europe
Europe-wide information on LEZ s
European Low Emission Zone
Low Emission
Zones
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Your source of information about Low Emission Zones and how they affect you when you drive in Europe. There are many Low Emission Zones (LEZs) in 10 European countries. Low Emission Zones are areas where vehicle access is limited by its emissions.

This website, www.lowemissionzones.eu, gives all the information you need to drive in LEZs in Europe. The information is available within 1-2 clicks from the homepage, either via the frontpage map or side and top menus.

To navigate the site, click on the map; use the tabs at the top to find Cities by A-Z or by Country, how to comply, and retrofitting details. This text also gives many links you can use to navigate the site.

Alternatively use the left hand menu to find out what are LEZs, and do why they exit, get an overview of LEZs, or use our 'Quick Guide'.

The ‘Quick Guide’ gives an overview table with all LEZs by country/city or start date, showing the most important facts at a single glance (emissions standard, vehicles, dates) and a link to full information. It also allows you to search LEZs by vehicle type affected: coach, lorry, camper van, van, car and motorcycle.

Overview of Low Emission Zones (LEZs) in Europe

LEZs are implemented to improve air quality, and help meet the EU health-based air quality limits, particularly of particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5 and also Black Carbon) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Poor air quality kills over 310000 people in Europe each year - more than by road accidents – with human health costs of between €427 and €790 billion per year.

Which vehicles are affected?

The following table gives a summary by vehicles affected:

 Vehicle type

 LEZs

 Vehicle standard 2011

 Future standard

 Lorries only

 Netherlands Euro 4(PM) Euro 4 (1/7/13)
Austrian A12 motorway Euro 2/3  
Mont Blanc Tunnel, FR/IT Euro 1  
 Heavy Duty Vehicles   London, UK Euro 3(PM) Euro 4(PM) (3/1/12)
Denmark Fit filter if <Euro 4  
Sweden 8 years old / Euro 3  
Prague, CZ Euro 2  
 All 4+ wheelers Germany Euro 2-4(PM) & Euro 1 petrol  
 All vehicles Italy Euro 1-3 / no 2-stroke motorcycles  
 Local buses under agreements Norwich, UK Euro 3(NOx)  
Oxford, UK None Euro V (1/1/13)
 Vans London, UK None Euro 3 (3/1/12)
Germany Euro 2-4(PM) & Euro 1 petrol  
taly Euro 1-3 / no 2-stroke motorcycles  

Operating hours: Most LEZs operate permanently, the exemption is Italy, where LEZs sometimes operate at peak or other selected times.

Do I have to register before entering? In Germany and Sweden you will need to buy a sticker. Danish vehicles need to purchase a sticker for the Danish LEZs, foreign vehicles need to carry proof of the vehicle emissions standard. Foreign vehicles are required to register with London’s LEZ (as the national database does not include their details). Entry to the Prague LEZ is by permit. Some Italian LEZs require stickers, and you need to pay to enter the Milan Ecopass area. In many cases registration is possible by Internet or post. More information on registering can be found on our 'Where do I need to register' page.

Other LEZs are enforced with cameras reading the vehicle number plates (Netherlands, London), or by police controlling the vehicle papers (Italy, A12, Mont Blanc Tunnel), or local agreements (Norwich, Oxford (UK)).

LEZs are also called Environment Zones, or in a selection of European languages: Umweltzonen, Fahrverbote, Milieuzones, Lavutslippssone, Norway, Miljozone, Miljözon, Zielone Strefy, Nízkoemisní Zóny, ZAPA (Zone d'Action Prioritaire pour l'Air, zone environnementale), Zona de Bajas Emisiones.

LEZs currently exist in 8 countries, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Austria, the Czech Republic. They are also in planning in other countries.

If your vehicle does not meet the emission standards required, you can buy a newer vehicle, use a different vehicle, or modify your vehicle's engine, for example by fitting a diesel particulate filter. You can find more about the different options from our how to comply page.

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Köln (Cologne)

Köln (Cologne) has a LEZ in operation since 1st January 2008.

  • From 1st January 2008
    • Diesel Euro 2(PM), Petrol Euro 1 / Red Sticker.
  • Planned next stages of the LEZ:
    o 01.04.2012 an extended LEZ area (see below)
      o 01.01.2013 Diesel Euro 3(PM), Petrol Euro 1 / Yellow Sticker 
    o 01.07.2014 Diesel Euro 4(PM), Petrol Euro 1 / Green Sticker

    Vehicles affected
    All diesel vehicles, and petrol vehicles without a closed loop catalytic converter (Euro 1 or equivalent).
    All vehicles must have a sticker - see National Scheme below.

    What is the LEZ boundary
    Current LEZ area:
    Cologne LEZ Map
    A more detailed map with streetnames of the current LEZ area can be found here

    The planned extended area of the LEZ is given below:
    Cologne LEZ Map
    The green shaded area is the extended LEZ area, the black outline the city authority boundary.

    LEZ Road sign
    Cologne Low Emission Zone Road Sign

    Need to Register? National
    A sticker must be bought and displayed in the windscreen - see National Scheme below. This sticker is then valid for all LEZs in Germany.
    Proof of emissions standard (given on German vehicle papers) is needed to purchase the sticker. Stickers can be purchased from the vehicle registration, authorities, authorised local garages, vehicle test organisations like TÜV, DEKRA, or some websites.

    The LEZ city authorities and other cities also sell stickers, often over the internet – see the individual city for more details. Many hotels in LEZ cities also offer to order the stickers on behalf of their guests, if they receive the requisite documents in advance.
    German LEZ stickers can be purchased online for all vehicles in all countries for 12.50€, also in different languages.

    Need to Register? City
To order a sticker from Cologne city authorities, just send the application form including a copy of your vehicle documentation to:

Stadt Köln
Kfz-Zulassungsstelle
Max-Glomsda-Straße 4
51105 Köln
Germany.

For further details, please refer to Cologne's website “How Do I get a sticker”.

Many hotels in Cologne offer to order the stickers on behalf of their guests, if they receive the appropriate documents in advance.

Foreign Vehicles?
Foreign vehicles are also enforced and are required to buy a sticker. Foreign vehicles emissions are taken primarily by vehicle age, as in the table below.

Euro Standard

Emissions Class

First registration of light duty vehicles

First registration of lorries

Sticker

Diesel

Euro 1 or older

1

before 01.01.1997

before 01.10.1996

None

Euro 2

2

01.01.1997 - 31.12.2000

01.01.1996 - 01.10.2001

Red

Euro 3

3

01.01.2001 - 31.12.2005

01.10.2001 - 30.09.2006

Yellow

Euro 4

4

from 01.01.2006

from 01.10.2006

Green

Petrol

pre-Euro 1 (without catalyst)

1

before 01.01.1993

None

Euro 1 and better

4

from 01.01.1993

Green

Retrofitting allowed?:
Yes
Retrofitting Summary
German vehicles need to have a particulate trap certified on behalf of the German government. Local garages can advise on which filters should be used and www.feinstaubplakette.de allows you to find out what particulate filter your German registered vehicle can use - now for heavy as well as light duty vehicles. See also our retrofit page.

Hours of operation
Permanent, 365 days a year.

Enforcement
Manual enforcement by police of sticker in the windscreen. Even if the vehicle meets the emissions standard, if there is no sticker in the windscreen, the vehicle is illegal in the zone.

Penalty
40€ fine and one point in the national traffic penalty register for German vehicles.

National Scheme
A National Framework sets out the Emissions Classes and main rules that can be used by cities for LEZs in Germany (see Need to Register?). The cities or regions then decide whether, where and when to do a LEZ, and what emissions standards will be required.

Emissions class

1

2

3

4

Sticker

No Sticker

Requirement for diesel vehicles

Euro 1 or worse

Euro2 or Euro1 particulate filter

Euro3 or Euro2 particulate filter

Euro4 or Euro3 particulate filter

Requirement for petrol vehicles

Without a catalytic converter



Euro1 with catalytic converter or better


Exemptions: National
Germany Exemptions
Exemptions: City
In Cologne, only the general exemptions stipulated in the national LEZ scheme apply. Residents and commercial traffic is not exempted from the LEZ. In cases of special hardship owners of vehicles that are banned from the environmental zone under the national LEZ scheme can apply for a special exemption. Cologne has adopted guidelines and details individual exemptions from the driving ban granted by the transport authorities in Cologne’s districts. For further details, please refer to Cologne’s website.

Local name for an LEZ
Umweltzone

Further Information
A list of streets and addresses that are covered by the LEZ can be downloaded here.

City website
www.stadt-koeln.de/umweltzone/

National website
Germany LEZ website
 
 
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