The saga of France’s low-emission zones is set to see a major step forward today, as MPs vote on an amendment to partially reinstate the controversial rules…before they have even been dismantled.
If successful, the vote could overturn the amendment of a previous law seeking to ban the zones across France, by providing local authorities with full control over keeping current restrictions in place.
However, criticism of the vote from right-wing MPs and Senators means it is unclear whether it will pass, leaving the zones open to being dismantled once the relevant legislation is introduced.
Following today’s vote, the amendment will also need to be discussed by the Senate on Wednesday (April 15), providing a further obstacle for the government.
Drivers should note that despite the current discussions on the matter, ZFE restrictions remain in place – and will remain so even after the vote as further scrutiny of the law takes place – and are encouraged to check local rules.
Zones still in place in 2026
As a reminder, Zones à Faibles Émissions (ZFE) are low-emission covering roads in and around 25 French cities.
All vehicles driving through the zones – both French-registered and foreign – must display a Crit’Air sticker showing the emissions level of the vehicle.
Restrictions in the zones differ between each location, but generally see vehicles with certain emissions or higher banned from entering or restricted to driving in certain hours.
Original rules stated that in the coming years, all cities or urban areas with a population of 150,000 or higher needed to introduce a ZFE.
However, a ban on ZFEs was controversially included via amendment in a 2025 law on ‘simplification of daily life’.
Two similar amendments from the right-wing Les Républicains and far-right Rassemblement National seeking to ban the zones were brought forward.
Despite opposition to the amendment from centrist MPs, the bill was passed on its first reading, largely due to backing from right-wing groups, before being accepted by the Senate and a mixed-commission of both MPs and Senators.
The government has since criticised the inclusion of the ZFE ban in the law, arguing it is too unrelated to the initial aims of the text, and has attempted to overturn it several times.
If the government amendment fails and the law is introduced in its current state, all ZFEs will be removed, ending any restrictions on vehicles passing through the zones.
The move could cost billions, both in terms of overturning the zones and from lost EU funding for ecological measures.
Government criticism for handling of bill
To counteract this, the government is introducing a new amendment to the simplification law, looking to compromise on the status of ZFEs.
The amendment states that cities with zones already in place would be able to choose whether to dismantle or keep them, without any interference from the government.
In addition, cities yet to introduce a zone but previously required to would no longer need to introduce them, but could implement one if they wished.
If successfully passed, the amendment overturns the total ban envisioned in the current state of the simplification bill.
The upcoming votes are the final set required until the bill is formally adopted.
They were already delayed once by the government earlier this year, ostensibly due to the March municipal elections, however French media reports government ministers have spent the additional time looking to make deals with political groups to ensure their new amendment to the bill passes.
The amendment has been approved by MPs from the government’s centrist coalition as an acceptable compromise on the matter – ideally, the government would want to keep ZFEs as an obligation for all large urban areas – but these votes are not enough to ensure the bill passes.
Les Républicains members already rejected a similar amendment to the bill once when previously allied with the government – as did the mixed MP and Senate commission – and are reportedly furious that the government is attempting to use the same method again to bypass the ZFE issue.
Particular ire has been levied at the use of supposed back-handed deals with MPs to bypass the parliamentary vote.
“The manoeuvre to reinstate [the zones] is deeply cynical, especially as the French face an unprecedented energy crisis and soaring fuel prices. When millions of our fellow citizens are already struggling to make ends meet, this technocratic decision appears as a provocation,” said a group of Les Républicains figures in an open letter to media outlet Le Figaro.
The matter is compounded by the amendment being attached to the simplification bill, something the government is desperate to pass as it will introduce wide ranging reforms to several administrative areas.
Further drama expected
More twists and turns are expected however.
Despite this week's votes being the final set required for the law to be introduced, it must still pass through France’s Constitutional Council or Conseil constitutionnel before being promulgated.
Several political experts believe the original amendment to ban ZFEs will be thrown out, classified as a legislative rider and too disconnected from the original aspect of the bill.
There is precedent for this, including several elements of the 2024 immigration bill that were thrown out by the Council.
