BRUSSELS: Brussels is delaying a plan to ban a wide swath of diesel cars from the capital of the European Union (EU) amid a wider backlash against climate measures.
The city last Friday backed a law to push enforcement of rules restricting Euro 5 diesel vehicles from its Low Emission Zone (LEZ), which encompasses 161 sq kms, by two years.
The extension, which follows similar delays in cities in Belgium’s Dutch-speaking Flanders region, comes as measures to combat climate change on a wider European level are failing to get off the ground. Following immense pressure, the EU this week postponed a landmark law to tackle global deforestation.
The vote also came one week ahead of local elections in Belgium.
The change was pushed by three French-speaking parties last month, much to the dismay of the Dutch-speaking Greens. The fight helped stall the formation of the Brussels government following national elections in June.
Supporters of the delay say it will help some 35,000 Brussels residents who haven’t been able to afford to change their vehicles after being hit hard by the Covid pandemic and energy crisis.
Greens, however, said air quality will be damaged because several hundred thousand diesel cars enter the city each year.
“We are not giving up on LEZ,” said Christophe de Beukelaer, lawmaker for centrist party Les Engages. “The government has not put in place adequate support measure to help people. So we are giving these people a bit more time to adapt.” — BloombergThe cars affected are those that meet the EU’s Euro 5 emission standard, which was introduced in 2009. The newer Euro 6 standard applies to cars made since 2014. Under the original Brussels plan, all diesel cars would be banned from the city by 2030. - Bloomberg
