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Catalonia Sets Firm ZBE Ban Dates as Ourense’s Low-Emission Zone Starts Quietly Without Full Enforcement

The phased bans illustrate how regional deadlines collide with uneven on-the-ground implementation.

Overview

  • The Catalan government’s Air Quality Plan 2027, approved by decree, formalizes ZBE restrictions based on DGT environmental labels.
  • Beginning January 2026, B-label vehicles will be barred from Catalonia’s ZBEs on officially declared high-pollution days.
  • From January 3, 2028, B-label cars will be routinely prohibited from entering ZBEs, and from 2026 municipalities over 20,000 residents must exclude unlabeled vehicles.
  • Ourense’s ZBE took effect on December 26 with little visible change in city-center traffic and limited new signage reported by day two.
  • Planned number-plate cameras are not yet operating in Ourense, local police are handling oversight, and most sanctions are paused until July 1, 2026, except for pedestrianization violations.