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Environmental zones in the Netherlands

There are currently 11 cities in the Netherlands that have  introduced environmental zones in their city centres. These cities are Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam, Den Haag, Eindhoven, Breda, Den Bosch, Tilburg, Delft, Leiden and Maastricht.

Only clean lorries may enter environmental zones. To be clean, diesel lorries weighing over 3,500 kg must comply with the Euro 3 emission standard or higher. Lorries with Euro 0 or Euro 1 and Euro 2 engines may not enter environmental zones. Lorries with diesel engines that comply with the Euro 3 standard must be fitted with a particle filter and may not be older than 8 years. Lorries with Euro 4 or Euro 5 engines may enter environmental zones without having to be modified. The penalty for non-compliance with the admission criteria is € 160.

Environmental zones will help improve air quality in urban areas where the EU-standards for fine particles (PM₁₀) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) are being exceeded.

Environmental zones are marked by a sign which bears the word ‘Milieuzone’ (‘environmental zone’),

The Netherlands did not introduce special stickers to show the emission levels of engines (like the German ‘Umweltplakette’). Instead, enforcement is based on the vehicle licence number, which is linked to the environmental class and vehicle age.

The authorities are currently examining whether the restrictions in environmental zones can be applied to foreign vehicles. For the time being, all foreign vehicles will be allowed to enter environmental zones without restrictions.

Information on Environmental zones in other European countries can be found at  www.lowemissionzones.eu