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ZFEs Could Soon Be Scrapped

Published

2 weeks ago

April 10, 2025

Champs-Élysées with Arc de Triomphe View, Paris. Credit: Pexels, Casper Sami

France’s controversial Zones à Faibles Émissions (ZFEs) – the country’s version of Ultra Low Emission Zones (ULEZ) – could soon be drastically scaled back or even scrapped.

What are ZFEs in France and why are they under scrutiny?

Established under French laws in 2019 and 2021, ZFEs were designed to reduce air pollution in major cities by restricting older, more polluting vehicles – like ULEZ. Motorists are required to display a Crit’air sticker, and as of January 2024, diesel cars registered before 2006 are banned from entering cities like Paris and Lyon. Offenders risk fines of up to €135.

According to Le Monde, around three million vehicles are currently affected. The goal is to curb the 48,000 premature deaths annually linked to fine particle pollution in France.

However, opposition to the scheme has intensified, with critics saying it disproportionately impacts low-income drivers and rural residents. Half of those driving into ZFEs live outside the cities and are often ineligible for support schemes, The Telegraph reports.

A multi-party group of MPs – including members of the far-right National Rally, the conservative Republicans, and even some from President Macron’s Renaissance party – is calling for a rollback. A vote in the French National Assembly is expected soon.

Jordan Bardella, leader of National Rally, said, “Accepting ZFE means accepting punitive and anti-social environmental measures.” Laurent Wauquiez of the Republicans went further, branding the policy “economic suicide.” (Cited by Daily Mail.)

French Prime Minister François Bayrou previously acknowledged that “it is the poorest… who are the victims.”

Protests erupted across France on April 6, led by author Alexandre Jardin and the “Les Gueux” movement, labelling the policy as “institutionalised social segregation.”

French government wants to relax, not remove, ZFEs

The French government appears unwilling to fully reverse course. Minister for Ecological Transition Agnès Pannier-Runacher told Le Figaro: “Everyone has the right to move around, but also to breathe… That is what is at stake in this amendment.”

She insists ZFEs are “one of the tools for reducing air pollution, particularly in large conurbations,” and has proposed limiting mandatory ZFEs to only those cities – like Paris and Lyon – where pollution levels exceed WHO thresholds.

A new initiative dubbed the ‘Air Quality Roquelaure¡ will bring together local officials to refine pollution-reduction strategies, according to Novethic.

The costs of scrapping ZFEs

Scrapping ZFEs could have serious financial repercussions. France risks losing €3.3 billion in EU funding for 2025 alone, part of a €40.3 billion package allocated under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, Contexte reports.

The French Treasury warns that abolishing the zones could be viewed by the EU as defaulting on commitments – possibly triggering a €1 billion repayment request.

The final outcome of ZFEs hinges on a vote in France’s fractured parliament, where turnout and cross-party consensus remain uncertain. While a full cancellation is unlikely, a significant softening of the rules seems imminent.

Let us know your thoughts below: Should pollution control come at the cost of mobility for the poorest? Or are clean air and climate targets too critical to compromise?

View all news from France.

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Biggest Cruise Ship To Dock In Mallorca

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April 22, 2025

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In May, Royal Caribbean’s ‘Allure of the Seas’, the world’s biggest cruise ship, will dock in Palma de Mallorca, bringing a mountain of economic benefits.

Carrying 139,000 turnaround passengers and 2,384 crew members, the ship is expected to generate €8 million in passenger spending and an additional €500,000 from the crew. With 22 eight-hour stopovers planned between May and October, the ship will give a boost to Mallorca’s tourism and commercial activity.

Palma’s Mayor Mateu Isern spoke of the ‘spectacular’ growth of cruise tourism, making Palma Spain’s second-largest cruise destination and the Mediterranean’s fourth. The 362-metre-long ship, with capacity for 6,318 passengers, features seven themed areas, including an Aquatheater, Central Park with 12,000 plants, and Broadway’s musical ‘Chicago’. The Balearic Port Authority’s investments have made Palma an irresistible hub, contributing to a €27 million economic impact across Spain.

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Growth Fuels Budget Boom

Published

13 hours ago

April 22, 2025

Ion Axinescu

Plaza de la Constitución in Torrox. Credit: Creative Commons

Torrox made a new ‘statement’ as the fastest-growing town in the Malaga Province. During an extraordinary plenary session, the Town Hall approved its municipal budget for 2025: €36.3 million. The new budget will come into effect following its publication in the Official Gazette of the Province of Málaga (BOP).

Mayor Óscar Medina named the budget an “expansive” one. The plan is to strengthen Torrox’s economic momentum. According to the mayor, this is just the beginning of “the best years for Torrox.”

Known as the town with the best climate in Europe, Torrox has risen in the last years, with increases in per capita income, job creation, and quality of life. Mayor Medina wants to continue the growth, and he noted that actual spending could exceed €40 million once surplus funds and the town’s lack of deficit are factored in.

The new budget includes more than €3 million in real investments and forecasts an initial gross savings of over €625,000. In the last ten years, while expanding its population and public services, Torrox’s budget has doubled, from €18.6 million to over €36 million.

The local administration says that it will prioritize sustainable urban growth, quality tourism, and long-standing community needs. At the same time, they want to focus on preserving local traditions and identity.

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Drones For Environmental Protection

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April 22, 2025

Ion Axinescu

Drone Unit in Andalusia. Credit: Consejería de Sostenibilidad, Medio Ambiente y Economía Azul

The Junta de Andalucía has introduced drones into the daily operations of its environmental agents to enhance the protection and monitoring of the region’s rich natural heritage.

This new Drone Unit, part of the Ministry for Sustainability and the Environment, is made up of agents trained and certified to operate UAVs under European safety regulations. The unit was launched in 2022 and it evolved all these years.

Now, the agents have expanded their capabilities with a new non-EASA certificate. This allows them to use drones typically excluded from EU aviation regulations, such as those used in police or military operations, for environmental and territorial surveillance.

Drones now assist the agents in essential tasks such as monitoring conservation work in natural spaces, inspecting administrative cases on the ground, or emergency support during wildfires, floods, or missing person searches.

This ‘drone move’ is part of a strategy to modernize and digitize environmental protection efforts in Andalusia. It enhances data analysis, streamlines fieldwork, and supports real-time decision-making in remote areas.

The use of this modern technology strengthens the role of environmental agents as guardians of Andalusia’s forests, biodiversity, and protected areas.

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