It appears that, as of April 1, you are still safe for the time being from the automatic €350 fine for drivers entering the Brussels Low-Emission Zone (LEZ) in a Euro 5 diesel or Euro 2 gasoline vehicle.

Even though your vehicle is officially banned, no fines will be issued for the vehicles in question as long as there is no operational framework in place. Or how the LEZ in Brussels is really turning into a chaotic mess.

Safe until further notice

On April 1, the three-month grace period for Euro 5 diesel and Euro 2 gasoline vehicles will expire in the Brussels-Capital Region, following the Constitutional Court’s annulment of the ordinance that had postponed the tightening of the LEZ by two years, originally scheduled for January 1, 2026.

However, the Brussels Minister of Finance and Budget, Dirk De Smedt (Anders), assures that the grace period will be extended and that no actual fine of €350 will be issued until an operational framework is in place.

The new Brussels government under Dillies is currently working on a new system that reduces the fine to €80 per month (instead of €350 per quarter), with an option for an annual pass.

This costs €350 for owners of Euro 5 diesel and Euro 2 gasoline vehicles who cannot afford to purchase a new car, and a reduced rate of €200 for people receiving increased financial assistance.

However, since there is no legal framework in place yet and no consensus within the government on possible exemptions for the socially disadvantaged, it appears that, based on De Smedt’s statement, you will remain safe from the automatic €350 fine for the time being, starting in April.

Groen and Ecolo criticize the decision

De Smedt’s decision has immediately caused a stir within the new Brussels government. According to Brussels Minister of Mobility Elke Van den Brandt (Groen), what De Smedt is saying does not align with what was agreed upon within the government.

“I repeat once again that the people of Brussels now need a clear message supported by the entire government,” says Van den Brandt. “The last thing they need is more announcement-driven politics that create ambiguity, confusion, and uncertainty.”

Brussels parliament member and former Minister of Climate Transition, Environment, Energy, and Health, Alain Maron (Ecolo), also criticizes the lack of clarity.

For him, this procrastination, this lack of clarity, and these concessions have a tangible impact. “Children with asthma, vulnerable people, and everyone who lives in or visits Brussels are condemned to breathe unhealthy air for even longer, to suffer from pollution without being able to escape it.”

Legal uncertainty

Whether the postponement is a good thing from a legal perspective is another question. “That is the whole difficulty,” says Ans Persoons (Vooruit), the Secretary of State for Climate and Environment, in a reaction to the newspaper Le Soir.

There is the standstill principle, Article 23 of the Constitution, which prohibits “significantly” reducing the level of protection provided by existing regulations “without reasonable justification.”

There is a good chance that Bral, Les Chercheurs d’Air, and the League for Human Rights – the group that took the case to the Constitutional Court last year and won – will file another lawsuit, as they argue that failing to collect fines amounts to a “disguised suspension” of the law, which they consider illegal.

Moreover, the legal situation surrounding the Brussels LEZ is currently a minefield in yet another area. After all, there is also a violation of the principle of equality.

Lawyers specializing in administrative law argue that citizens who have incurred costs to comply with the law are being disadvantaged compared to those for whom the rules are now being put “on hold.”

In any case, Persoons wants the ordinance to be ready in time to take effect on January 1, 2027. She believes it is not possible to abolish the fines for 2026, as some are requesting.

Brussels LEZ also applies to motorcycles

Finally, the mobility club Touring points out that the LEZ in Brussels also applies to motorcycles, but not in Antwerp or Ghent, which is yet another example of how inconsistent the entire LEZ policy in Belgium is.

Euro 2 motorcycles and scooters are no longer permitted. Touring also recommends that anyone forced to purchase a newer model should opt for a Euro 5 motorcycle, as stricter regulations are coming soon.

Touring also urges that motorcyclists are not overlooked in the new fine schedule and that they be eligible for a reduced rate, given that they contribute less to congestion per vehicle than cars.

In terms of emissions, motorcycles generally emit less CO₂ per kilometer due to lower fuel consumption and, therefore, have a smaller impact on climate change.

However, when it comes to local air quality (CO, NOx, hydrocarbons), the situation is different: motorcycles, especially under older standards such as Euro 2, can emit significantly more pollutants per kilometer than cars.