Spain threatens to pull EU funds from cities that flout green traffic reforms

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - Spain is warning cities that if they continue delaying or minimizing the implementation of green traffic reforms, they could be forced to give back EU funding, Spanish daily El Pais reported on Wednesday.

The Transport Ministry has sent letters giving nearly 200 cities an ultimatum: either implement green traffic restrictions or give back the EU Next Generation grants.

Spain has handed out €1.5 billion ($1.6 billion) worth of EU Next Generation funds to 196 cities to subsidize green traffic reforms such as low-emission zones, bike lanes, more pedestrian zones, or buying electric buses.

All of Spain’s 151 cities with more than 50,000 people are also legally obligated to implement low-emission zones by 2024, where the most polluting vehicles are regulated and cannot usually enter the area. It aims to improve air pollution in city centers and encourage a shift to less polluting vehicles.

But the right-wing swept local elections in May, and many of the new governments are back-tracking on projects.

For instance, the city of Elche, which now has a coalition government between the far-right Vox and the Popular Party, has painted over bike lanes that were subsidized with EU funds.

“We cannot punish residents with this measure that makes them change vehicles in such a difficult economic moment,” said Xavier Garcia Albiol, the new mayor of Badalona, announcing this week that he would not fine any polluting vehicles in the low emissions zone until 2027.

On Wednesday, Spain’s acting Energy Minister Teresa Ribera threatened to take Badalona to court to get back the €2 million in funds it was granted for the measures.

Ribera said the low-emission zone would prevent an average of 200 premature deaths per year due to Badalona’s poor air quality.

The cities of Gijon and Valladolid have also scrapped systems or moved to make the low-emissions zones smaller.

While Madrid says cities can submit changes to projects, all changes must be approved by the Transport Ministry.

In 2022, 7.6 million Spaniards, or 16% of the population, consistently breathe air that is more polluted than the current EU limits, according to a study by the organization Ecologistas en Accion. That’s up slightly from 2021, but 10 million fewer people compared to 2017.

However, an EU proposal aims to tighten limits to reflect the more stringent World Health Organization air quality guidelines by 2030. By those standards, 80% of the Spanish population would be breathing air that exceeds the healthy limits, according to Ecologistas en Accion.

Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that around 7 million people die prematurely each year due to poor air quality.