Eliminate areas with low emissions (ZFE), as required by deputies, could cost France more than 3 billion euros in European aid, according to a note from the General Directorate of the Treasury. The Special Commission responsible for studying the bill of “simplification” voted at the end of March the abolition of ZFES, these urban areas whose access is reserved for less polluting vehicles, which is supposed to pushing motorists to renounce fine cars of fine particles, but that would penalize modest households according to several policies. The deputies adopted LR and national amendments of Rally in this regard, with votes from other political groups, against government opinion.
For the cabinet of the Ministry of Ecological Transition, these discussions on the abolition of ZFES “send a negative political signal” that could “question the subsidies already obtained” for its implementation. According to the treasure note cited by the context of the media, this abolition exposes France “at a risk of reimbursement of up to one billion euros.”
Put the next European payments as part of the PNRR
The European Commission could also “consider this abolition as a cancellation of the commitments, which would endanger the upcoming payments of the EU in the framework of the National Recovery and Resilience (PNRR) plan of France, according to the office of Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher. This plan allows France to receive 40.3 billion euros in European subsidies until 2026, “provided they respect certain commitments.” By 2025, France must receive 3.3 billion euros as such.
However, among the objectives shown of the PNRR, the adoption of the climatic and resilience law approved in 2021 (where the implementation of ZFES) and the completion of the studies before the implementation of ZFE in 18 agglomerations are two key objectives to claim European help. Respect for France of the objective of carrying out studies before ZFE is evaluated in Brussels, urinating a payment of community funds in 2025.
Started in 2019 and extended in 2021, the ZFE show the objective of improving air quality and limiting emissions of fine particles, responsible for respiratory diseases and 40,000 deaths per year according to public health France, excluding certain vehicles according to critical stickers. Currently, they limit the circulation of critical vehicles 3 – Diesel cars registered before 2011 and gasoline cars registered before 2006, in Paris, Lyon, Montpellier and Grenoble.
Source: BFM TV
