France’s Constitutional Council has upheld maintaining low-emission zones, which restrict the use of the most polluting vehicles in towns and cities. The ruling blocks attempts by right-wing and far-right MPs to weaken two flagship environmental policies through amendments to an unrelated bill.
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The zones – known in France as ZFEs – were introduced to reduce harmful air pollution by limiting access for the dirtiest cars, vans and lorries in urban areas.
The decision preserves one of President Emmanuel Macron’s flagship environmental measures at a time when the policy has become increasingly divisive, particularly among drivers who say the restrictions place too much pressure on households already struggling with rising costs.
Supporters argue the zones are an important public health measure in densely populated areas where air pollution remains a persistent problem.
Political challenge
The attempt to abolish the zones came from right-wing and far-right MPs, who added amendments to a broader bill aimed at simplifying economic life in France.
The original legislation focused on reducing certain standards for businesses and abolishing advisory bodies. Opponents of the environmental measures used it to challenge low-emission zones and rules on land use.
The Constitutional Council did not rule on whether ending the zones would itself be unconstitutional. Instead, it struck down the amendments because they were judged to have too little connection to the original purpose of the bill.
Under French parliamentary rules, the council can reject this type of unrelated amendment, often referred to as a “legislative rider”.
Judges also blocked amendments aimed at weakening rules designed to limit land sealing – the covering of natural or agricultural land with impermeable surfaces such as buildings, roads and car parks.
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Urban pollution
Introduced in France in 2019, low-emission zones have also been adopted in many cities across Europe. They are intended to reduce fine particulate pollution by limiting or banning the dirtiest vehicles from town and city centres.
Critics argue the measures unfairly affect lower-income drivers who cannot easily afford to replace older vehicles.
Environmental groups welcomed the Constitutional Council’s decision. France Nature Environment, a federation of environmental NGOs, said the ruling would help protect both public health and biodiversity.
The decision was “good news for health”, Anne Lassman Trappier from the federation said, adding that low-emission zones could “continue to operate as normal”.
“They have already reduced urban air pollution by 30 to 40 percent in France and abroad,” she said. “So this is no small matter and it really does help protect the health of the most vulnerable people.”
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Land-use rules
Lassman Trappier also welcomed the Council’s decision to block attempts to weaken land-use protections linked to France’s “zero net land take” policy, intended to curb urban sprawl and protect biodiversity, farmland and water resources.
“Urbanisation in France is running rampant,” she said. “It is one of the main causes of biodiversity loss because it destroys habitats. It is also very bad for water resources, because it often encroaches on wetlands or watercourses.”
However, she warned the political battle over environmental protections was unlikely to end.
“These measures are saved until the next attempt,” she said.
