More than a decade after they first appeared, Low Emission Zones (LEZs) in France are now the subject of a political turn, and it is undoubtedly a victory for the French motorcyclists’ organisation FFMC. It’s not over, but it’s one more step towards their removal.

Established from 2015 in the name of pollution control, LEZs aimed to exclude vehicles considered polluting, because they were too old, from city centres. They have logically provoked a growing protest. Ten years later, their repeal marks a political turning point and revives the debate on possible alternatives to reconcile ecology, mobility and social justice.

In 2015, the first Low Emission Zones were set up in several French cities, starting with Paris. Their objective was to limit the movement of the most polluting vehicles in city centres in order to improve air quality and reduce the health impacts of traffic pollution. On paper, this ambition is commendable. However, from the moment they were put in place, the LEZs revealed many limitations. The scheme would mainly penalize the most modest households, not having the means to change vehicles. This is usually called ‘transport poverty‘.

In May 2025, the National Assembly adopted an amendment to remove the LEZs. This was confirmed on 20 January 2026, when the Commission Mixte Paritaire (CMP), a French parliamentary committee validated the vote of the National Assembly and the Senate. This decision marks a decisive step and symbolizes a profound change in the approach of mobility and urban ecology policies.

The repeal of the LEZs is mainly based on two thoughts. On the one hand, the observed environmental benefits are considered to be low or insufficiently demonstrated in relation to the social costs incurred. On the other hand, the system is widely perceived as punitive rather than incentive, both by many politicians and by a growing part of the population.

‘Motorcycles are part of the solution for improving urban and rural mobility.’

This opposition resulted in protests by citizens, in particular the protest of 27 September 2025, organized by the FFMC and other associations. These actions were aimed at challenging elected officials and weighing on national decisions, as at the hearings of the FFMC before the fact-finding missions of the National Assembly and the Senate.

According to FFMC, the end of the LEZs cannot, however, mean the abandonment of environmental issues. The fight against air pollution remains a necessity. It now calls for the construction of alternative solutions, more socially just and more environmentally efficient. In this context motorcycles and other powered two-wheelers can play a relevant role, in particular because of their reduced consumption, a lower carbon balance than that of the individual automobile and their contribution to the flow of urban traffic. Motorcycles are part of the solution for improving urban and rural mobility.

While this repeal is a major step forward, it does not mean an immediate disappearance of the LEZs. The parliamentary process must continue and debates or appeals remain legally possible. French website www.motomag.com warns us not to shout victory too fast: “The final text of the CMP is yet to be adopted, in the National Assembly on 27 January 2026, and in the Senate on 29 January. Not to mention that the Constitutional Council could retouch the text. Finally, it should be noted that this runs counter to the obligations imposed by Brussels towards the Member States of the European Union on air quality.”

Source: FFMC

Top photograph courtesy of FFMC

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