Barcelona cancels 140,000 low emission zone fines 

Barcelona City Council plans to cancel 140,000 fines given to drivers who entered the city's low emission zone with old and polluting cars. 

The fines add up to approximately €20.1 million. The fines have not been paid yet, so the money is not being returned, but it will no longer be paid to the council. The news was first published by the newspaper 'El Periódico' and later confirmed by council sources to the Catalan News Agency (ACN). 

High Court ruling 

The low emission zone (LEZ) was implemented in Barcelona on January 1, 2020. 

The Catalan High Court annulled the LEZ regulations in March of 2022. They argued that there were not enough studies on the matter. 

The court also ruled that the ordinance surpassed the council's jurisdiction, and there were some deficiencies in the types of vehicles excluded from entering Barcelona.