LEZ: maintained with annual pass and reduced fines

Government agreement: what changes

The agreement of 12 February 2026 substantially modifies the LEZ regime:

• Annual pass: owners of non-compliant vehicles can purchase a pass at 350 EUR/year (social rate 200 EUR) to drive legally
• Reduced fine: the per-infraction fine is lowered from 350 to 80 EUR
• Cap removed: the cap of 4 fines per year is removed

The LEZ is maintained in principle but the penalty system is reformed to reduce the financial impact on motorists.

Enforcement: tolerance confirmed (February 2026)

Minister Dirk De Smedt (Anders) confirmed in the Brussels Parliament on 27 February 2026 that no LEZ fines have been issued for diesel Euro 5 and petrol Euro 2 vehicles banned since 1 January 2026. A 3-month tolerance period is in effect (1 January — 1 April 2026).

• 4,386 warning letters have been sent by Brussels Fiscality
• Fines of 350 EUR will only apply after 1 April 2026
• Deputy Gilles Verstraeten (N-VA) flagged 2 apparent cases of fines sent in error; the minister invited those affected to contact Brussels Fiscality

Legal risk: Council of State opinion (February 2026)

The Council of State issued a highly critical opinion on the MR draft ordinance to reduce LEZ fines, submitted to the Brussels Parliament before the formation of the Dilliès government.

• Standstill principle: the fine reduction constitutes a regression in health protection for Brussels residents, violating the constitutional standstill principle
• Insufficient fines: the proposed amounts (15 to 50 EUR/month) are deemed too low to be "effective, proportionate and deterrent"
• 6-month delay: postponing fines beyond 31 March would contribute to a "harmful effect on the health of Brussels residents"
• Constitutional Court precedent: the opinion follows the court ruling that annulled the previous LEZ postponement

The Dilliès government accord also provides for reduced fines (80 EUR/infraction, annual pass at 350 EUR). The corresponding ordinance or implementing decree has not yet been published. The legal risk is real if the government follows the same rationale as the MR proposal.

Inherited context

Brussels' LEZ (Low Emission Zone) was established in 2018 to improve air quality by progressively banning the most polluting vehicles from the regional territory. The schedule provides for a gradual tightening of access standards, with the goal of banning diesel vehicles by 2030 and petrol vehicles by 2035.

Environmental results

Since its introduction in 2018, the LEZ has produced measurable improvements in air quality:

• NOx: −55%
• Particulate matter (PM): −33%
• Black carbon: −60%

Approximately 400,000 vehicles are affected by the 2026 tightening (diesel Euro 5, petrol Euro 2).

Source: Bruxelles Environnement, 2026.

What was pending (June 2024 — February 2026)

The LEZ continued to operate under the rules already adopted. However, the next tightening phases required political decisions that could not be taken under caretaker government.

Bombshell: fines suspended (27 March 2026)

On 27 March 2026 — 4 days before the new phase takes effect — Budget Minister Dirk De Smedt (Anders) announced that no fines will be issued to diesel Euro 5 and petrol Euro 2 vehicles from 1 April. He instructed Brussels Fiscality not to collect the fines until the legal framework is reformed.

Crisis chronology:

• 26 March: State Secretary Ans Persoons (Vooruit) confirms fines will apply from 1 April — maximum 1 fine of EUR 350 per year
• 27 March: Minister De Smedt contradicts this and suspends fines — no fines from 1 April
• Van den Brandt (Groen): denounces a "PS-Anders power grab" and warns of legal risks (standstill principle)

Consequences:

• ~30,000 vehicles in legal limbo: technically banned but not fineable
• The transitional system (annual pass EUR 350, social rate EUR 200) is not yet formalised — no ordinance or decree published
• First reading of a new ordinance planned in the coming weeks
• Reformed framework targeted for January 2027
• The episode represents the 2nd visible fracture in the coalition (day 43)

Sources: RTBF, La Libre, BX1 (27 March 2026).

LEZ agreement: fines from 7 June (4 April 2026)

After the first government crisis (2-4 April, D+50 — see Institutional card), the government reached an agreement on 4 April 2026:

Crisis timeline:

• 27 March: De Smedt (Anders) unilaterally suspends fines from 1 April
• 2 April: government session blocked. Groen furious, PS sets conditions
• 3 April: exceptional meeting. De Smedt refuses BRAL/IEB subsidies
• 4 April: agreement reached. Fines postponed to 7 June

A LEZ taskforce must define exempt categories (BIM, professionals, vulnerable groups) before 15 June. The reform ordinance is expected by 15 June, with implementation in 2027.

Sources: RTBF, BX1, La Libre, DH (3-4 April 2026). Confidence: official.

Issues to monitor

• Public health: air quality in Brussels remains below WHO recommendations in several areas
• Social justice: the annual pass and social rate aim to mitigate the impact on low-income households
• Climate coherence: the reform of the penalty system raises questions about the trajectory for eliminating polluting vehicles
• Tightening schedule: the confirmation or revision of the 2025-2030 schedule remains to be decided