Exemptions delay ZBE fines in second-ring cities
Six months after Barcelona began enforcing fines on high-emission vehicles without environmental labels, cities in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB) are applying low-emission zone (ZBE) rules unevenly. While Barcelona and some AMB municipalities like Cerdanyola del Vallès, Castelldefels, and Santa Coloma de Gramenet apply temporary moratoriums on fines, others in the so-called Arc Metropolità de Barcelona have taken a different approach. Sabadell, Terrassa, Rubí, Vilanova i la Geltrú, Granollers, and Mollet del Vallès have implemented a legal exemption that effectively shields registered residents from ZBE fines indefinitely. This exemption, embedded in municipal ordinances, applies to residents whose vehicles are registered within the ZBE area. The exemption is framed as a 'temporary authorisation' in the regulations, but the timeframe is either undefined or explicitly marked as 'permanent', so long as the resident remains registered in the area. In Sabadell, for example, the exemption covers 37,000 residents, or 17% of its population.
Loophole avoids state sanctions and protects commuters
This approach sidesteps a 2023 Catalan government decree that prohibits blanket, permanent exemptions for residents. However, by classifying the exemption as 'temporary' without a set end date, municipalities comply with the letter of the law while avoiding enforcement. According to an analysis by EL PERIÓDICO, the exemption is expected to last until at least 2029, as most ordinances stipulate that ZBEs will be reviewed no sooner than three years after implementation and then every four years. Since most of these ZBEs became fully operational between late 2025 and early 2026, the next review is years away. Terrassa’s city council confirmed only 19 fines, each worth €200, had been issued since 1 December 2025. A report from Diari de Sabadell cited 29 fines in the same period. Council sources said the ZBE had been suspended during the Rodalies rail crisis, delaying enforcement.
Political and transport challenges shape policy
The mayors of these cities, all with populations over 50,000, announced a more flexible ZBE model in late 2023, citing insufficient public transport and the financial burden on vulnerable residents. They negotiated with the Catalan government, led at the time by Pere Aragonés, to resist strict enforcement. Mataró stands out as an exception within the Arc Metropolità. Instead of indefinite exemption, it grants registered residents up to 52 days per year of daily access to the ZBE for non-compliant vehicles. Normally, the limit is 24 days per year. The State Prosecutor’s Office is investigating possible legal breaches by municipalities for weak ZBE enforcement. Meanwhile, the national government conditions millions in public transport funding on active ZBE enforcement.
"The implementation of ZBEs cannot be limited to the strictly municipal level,"
said representatives from the Association of Municipalities of the Arc Metropolità, arguing that urban continuity across municipalities must inform mobility policy. The Generalitat has acknowledged these concerns in its Air Quality Plan, allowing for shared ZBE management between bordering cities like Sabadell, Terrassa, and Rubí. This shift came after months of negotiation and reflects a more flexible approach to regulation.
Primary sources: rubi.cat. Reported by Manuel Arenas, Gemma Garrido Granger, Edu Gil, motorpasion.com, EFE, elperiodico.com.
