Zaragoza PP suspends low-emission zone after Vox pact

The Zaragoza City Council, led by the PP, has agreed with Vox to keep the low-emission zone (LEZ) "inactive," imposing fines only during "very exceptional" pollution episodes with NO2 thresholds yet to be defined. This deal comes hours after the Spanish government tightened LEZ requirements via decree.

The Zaragoza City Council has decided its low-emission zone (LEZ) will have minimal impact. The Popular Party, which governs the city, has struck a deal with Vox to reduce it to the bare minimum to secure support for the 2027 budget. In practice, the LEZ remains "inactive" on most days.

## Fines only when five stations spike

Sanctions will be tied to high-pollution episodes. According to the agreement, fines will only apply if nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels—threshold still undefined—exceed limits in **five of the eight** reference stations across the city for more than **two consecutive hours**. Last year, Zaragoza exceeded recommended EU particulate matter levels for just **seven days**.

Vox spokesperson at City Hall, **Eva Torres**, celebrated the agreement as fulfilling one of her party’s main electoral promises. "Zaragoza is not a polluted area; all citizens should circulate freely without being fined," she stated. "It will remain inactive and non-operational unless activated by an extraordinary pollution episode."

## State decree issued same day

This right-wing arrangement arrives just hours after the Spanish government approved a new decree modifying and tightening previous LEZ requirements. The Executive aims to address what it calls "fake" LEZs, arguing some cities are not applying them correctly, thus demanding effective sanctioning regimes.

The conflict extends beyond Zaragoza. Cities like **Valencia**, **Toledo**, **Málaga**, and **Alcalá** have seen their low-emission zones diluted or rendered ineffective. While state regulations push in one direction, municipal agreements move in the opposite.

## Who pays for unmeasured pollution?

The key lies in the threshold. If the NO2 level triggering fines is set high, the LEZ may go years without penalizing anyone. If set low, the pact loses meaning. Meanwhile, air quality continues to be monitored at those eight stations, and particulate pollution episodes do not disappear simply because the council decides not to sanction them.

It is worth remembering that LEZs were created to comply with EU limits, not as political ornaments. If municipal and state frameworks clash, the issue ends up in courts or Brussels. And there, no budget pact holds weight.