From 2024: Brussels bans Euro5 diesel, Antwerp grants grace period
Brussels is getting serious in the fight against older diesel vehicles. Euro5 vehicles will be banned from 2024. The old combustion engines were actually supposed to be banned in all three environmental zones in Belgium. However, the Flemish government has decided to postpone the ban by one year.
Only the latest diesel vehicles with Euro standard 6 will be allowed to drive in Brussels from next January. All older vehicles will no longer be allowed to enter regularly.
There was actually supposed to be a blanket ban on Euro 5 diesel vehicles in the Belgian low emission zones from January 2024. However, the Flemish government has decided against this plan. The low emission zones in Antwerp and Ghent will therefore continue to allow Euro 5 diesel vehicles next year.
Brussels has reacted to the postponement in Flanders with incomprehension. The city is sticking to the ban. The Brussels government argues that the decision to ban Euro5 was already taken in 2018. Citizens therefore had enough time to adapt to the new regulation. "We announced this decision well in advance and it should have a positive impact on the health of Brussels residents," commented the office of Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt (Greens). Opponents of the tightening of restrictions point out that the situation of Brussels residents has changed significantly due to the energy crisis and high inflation. Many people who depend on their cars will be hit hard by the decision. For the government, this is not an argument: "Furthermore, we and the federal government have made enormous efforts to compensate residents for the energy crisis. So this is not an argument in favour of putting the health of Brussels' citizens at risk."
All vehicles that comply with the rules and are allowed to enter need to be registered. As the camera systems in Belgium scan all vehicles entering the low emission zones, registration is essential to avoid fines of at least €150. Vehicles that do not comply with the rules of the low emission zones will have to buy a day ticket.
From 2025, not only will the rules in Antwerp and Ghent be tightened. There will also be a new low emission zone in Wallonia. This will prohibit cars and motorhomes from entering if they do not meet at least Euro 4 standard. There will also be a major change in Brussels in 2025. From then on, N2 and N3 lorries will also be affected by the low emission zone and will require permanent registration or a day ticket.