Last week, the Flemish government reached an agreement on a new Air Policy Plan, intended to prepare Flanders for the stricter European air-quality standards that take effect in 2030.
The new plan is an update of the text drafted by the previous Flemish government, and will be re-evaluated in 2027. The most important change is the halving of the annual nitrogen dioxide limit from 40 to 20 micrograms per cubic meter.
Additional measures?
Air quality has improved considerably, and Flanders currently complies with the existing European limits. However, official modeling indicates that the new 2030 NO₂ standard will still be exceeded at several traffic-heavy locations in Antwerp and, to a lesser extent, Ghent.
A final decision on additional measures has largely been postponed. Air quality will be reassessed in 2027 and 2029, and additional local and Flemish measures will be considered.
Stricter LEZs
Depending on the monitoring results, Flanders may consider stricter low-emission zones, changes to vehicle taxation, tolls in the Scheldt tunnels or lower speed limits on regional roads.
Flanders canceled the planned tightening of the Antwerp and Ghent LEZs in 2025, even though its own modeling showed that tighter access rules could reduce NO₂ by more than 4 micrograms per cubic meter in the most polluted streets.
Compared with the rest of Belgium, Brussels follows the strictest approach. Its LEZ covers the entire region and already excludes Euro 5 diesel and Euro 2 gasoline cars. Wallonia, by contrast, abandoned its planned region-wide low-emission zone and favors targeted local action.
Other countries
Among neighboring countries, the Netherlands is more ambitious on zero-emission urban freight, while France has a larger but politically contested network of low-emission zones.
Germany still has numerous environmental zones, although many have become less effective because almost all modern cars qualify for entry.
Other sectors
However, the plan also addresses sectors other than road transport. For instance, Flanders aims to provide at least 28 berths with shore power connections in the ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge.
This allows ships to switch off their engines while in port and switch to shore-based electricity. Yet, seagoing vessels remain the biggest challenge.
‘Raising the bar’
In the agricultural sector, the continued implementation of the Programmatic Approach to Nitrogen (Programmatische Aanpak van Stikstof, PAS) must make the largest contribution.
“Air quality in Flanders has improved significantly over the past few decades, but we are not there yet,” said Minister of the Environment Jo Brouns (CD&V) last week.
“With this updated air policy plan, we are raising the bar once again. We are opting for a realistic and ambitious path to meet the stricter European requirements by 2030.”
