Tightening of Brussels low-emissions zone would take 850,000 vehicles off the road

A planned tightening of the authorised emission standard - or low-emission zone - in the Belgian capital from January 2025 would exclude 850,000 vehicles from Brussels.

That includes 700,000 passenger cars and 150,000 vans, which the Touring mobility association is citing as its reason for opposing the LEZ extension.

The tightening of LEZ criteria in Brussels will exclude vehicles meeting the Euro-5 standard for diesel and Euro-2 for petrol.

“In the context of an already fragile Brussels economy, banning more than 850,000 vehicles in the capital is not a viable solution,” Touring said.

“This change will have a major impact on Brussels residents, rendering a quarter of diesel cars in the city immediately unusable.”

The exclusion of Euro-5 vehicles will cause significant economic losses for everyone and the forced replacement of still functional vehicles promotes premature obsolescence, Touring said, despite the low emissions of some vehicles thanks to particulate filters.

“Strengthening the LEZ criteria threatens the purchasing power of many citizens, confronting them with difficult economic choices,” the association said.

“And the transition requires an adequate charging infrastructure for EVs, which is currently insufficient.”

The organisation said plans must be shelved for now to allow a thorough evaluation of the impact of the ban on Euro-5 vehicles and to develop accompanying measures that take into account economic, environmental and infrastructural realities.

According to Touring, a moratorium is crucial to ensure a fair and sustainable transition to a more environmentally friendly mobility, in line with people's needs and possibilities.