Diesel engine: what changes with Euro 7 and what happens with DGT labels

In practice, as of July 2026, there are no major essential pending parliamentary procedures in Spain for the full application of the Euro 7 regulation: it is a directly applicable European regulation and not a directive that requires a transposition law. The bulk of the Spanish adaptation is already being done through regulatory and technical means (ministerial orders and type approval and ITV manuals), as reflected in the recent Order PJC/528/2026. There is no record in the General Courts of any bill or legislative proposal whose main purpose is to "apply Euro 7," nor specific royal decree-laws pending ratification. What remains ahead are mainly milestones in the European implementation calendar and possible sectoral regulatory adjustments initiated by the government, rather than a major specific parliamentary legislative agenda.

1. Nature of Euro 7 and consequences for the Spanish Parliament

Euro 7 is Regulation (EU) 2024/1257 on emissions from passenger cars, vans, and heavy vehicles. Being a regulation, it is binding in all its elements and directly applicable in Member States, without the need for a Spanish transposition law. The key dates for manufacturers and type approval authorities (in Spain, mainly the Ministry of Industry and DGT) are:

– Passenger cars and vans: phased entry for new type approvals and new registrations between late 2026 and 2027.
– Heavy vehicles: equivalent schedule between 2027 and 2028.
– Small volume manufacturers: longer deadlines until 2030–2031, according to technical summaries available on specialized Euro 7 portals such as Programadetransporte.es, Dealcar, Webfleet, or Recalvi.

This means that, from a legal point of view, the validity of Euro 7 in Spain does not depend on the Congress or Senate approving a specific law, but on the Administration directly applying the regulation in type approval and registration procedures.

2. What has already been done through regulatory means

2.1. Update of type approval regulations

The key recent piece is Order PJC/528/2026, of May 26, published in the BOE on 05/29/2026 (BOE-A-2026-11580). This order:

– Updates Annex I of Royal Decree 2028/1986 (rules for the application of vehicle type approval directives/regulations).
– Modifies Annexes II, VII, and XVIII of Royal Decree 2822/1998 (General Vehicle Regulations).
– Adjusts Annexes III, IV, XI, and XII of Royal Decree 750/2010, which regulates vehicle and system type approval procedures.

Overall, this order incorporates the most recent European technical regulations into the Spanish reference tables, within which the new generation of emission requirements (Euro 7 and associated regulations) is framed.

2.2. Technical adjustments in ITV and industrial safety

In parallel, the Ministry of Industry has been revising technical documents such as the Inspection Procedure Manual for ITV stations, version 8.0, subjected to public consultation on 04/23/2026 (ITV Manual v8.0). Although it is not a law-level regulation, it is key to practically implementing the new emission requirements in inspections.

Other technical environment regulations have also been approved, such as Royal Decree 302/2026, of April 8, on industrial safety and noise emissions from machinery (BOE-A-2026-8023), which, while not “Euro 7” in the strict sense, are part of the regulatory ecosystem update related to vehicles and machinery.

3. Status of related parliamentary procedures

3.1. Non-existence of a “Euro 7 law” in the Courts

Recent parliamentary activity shows no:

– Bill submitted by the Government whose central purpose is Spain’s adaptation to Euro 7.
– Specific royal decree-law on Euro 7 pending ratification or processing as a bill.
– Reform of the Air Quality Law or other framework laws explicitly presented as an instrument for applying Euro 7.

There are relevant initiatives in mobility and climate, such as the Sustainable Mobility Bill, already approved in the XV Legislature, whose final text was published in the Senate in November 2025 (BOCG_D_15_337_2957 and BOCG_D_15_337_2958). This law aligns mobility policy with climate and air quality goals but does not constitute a specific procedure without which Euro 7 cannot be applied.

3.2. Related climate initiatives, but not conditioning

There are other regulations under processing or debate, linked to climate and CO₂ emissions (for example, the processing as a bill of Royal Decree-law 4/2024 on fiscal, energy, and social measures, 121/000032, or proposals to reform emissions trading collected in Congress, such as Bill Proposal 122/000170, whose amendment text can be seen at BOCG-15-B-193-7). However, these initiatives affect general climate policy and the EU ETS; they are not the “last step” for Euro 7 to be enforceable.

4. What may remain pending in the future

What may reach Parliament in the coming months or years, although not formally registered today as “Euro 7,” would be:

– Legal adjustments in automobile taxation (taxes linked to emissions) to align them with new standards, following debates similar to those already raised about zero-emission vehicles.
– Laws linking public aid, industrial plans, or procurement criteria to Euro 7 vehicles, within strategies such as the Spain Auto 2030 Plan (framework mentioned in the BOE through the agreement published in the Resolution of June 24, 2025).

But, as of today, these possible developments are politically relevant but legally not essential for the Euro 7 Regulation to be applicable: the European regulation already obliges Spain by itself, and the key execution instruments are being approved through government regulatory means.

Outside of this, the discussion about Euro 7 in Spain is taking place more on the political and industrial level (Government and industry positions, as reflected by ANFAC in various notes, for example this assessment on heavy vehicle emissions or its analysis of the context in passenger cars and light commercial vehicles), than in the processing of a specific “Euro 7 law.”

The Directorate General of Traffic (DGT) does not decide which vehicles can enter a specific city nor what restrictions apply in each Low Emission Zone (LEZ); that is the competence of the municipalities. Its key role is to environmentally classify the vehicle fleet, manage the B, C, ECO, and ZERO environmental labels, and maintain that information in the Vehicle Registry, so that other administrations can use it for their mobility and air quality policies. This function has been formally incorporated into the General Vehicle Regulations and is supported by the Traffic Law. Additionally, through its resolutions and signage, the DGT integrates the labels into state traffic regulation (for example, in HOV lanes or pollution protocols).

Material functions of the DGT regarding environmental labels

1. Environmental classification of the vehicle fleet

Order PCI/810/2018, of July 27, modifies the General Vehicle Regulations (Royal Decree 2822/1998) and expressly incorporates environmental classification. Its preamble states that the Autonomous Body Central Traffic Headquarters:

– "has classified the entire fleet recorded in the Vehicle Registry through strictly environmental criteria, assigning each vehicle a category within the created environmental scale. Thus, five vehicle categories have been created: zero emissions, ECO, C, B, and A. Correspondingly, an environmental label has been designed for the first four categories, (…) with category A remaining without a label" (Order PCI/810/2018).

That is, the DGT:

– Defines the technical criteria for classification (based on pollutant potential, EURO standards, propulsion type, etc.).
– Assigns each vehicle a category (ZERO, ECO, C, B, or A) in the Vehicle Registry.
– Determines which vehicles are entitled to a label, information that can be consulted on its electronic headquarters, as municipalities like Zaragoza remind (Zaragoza City Council note).

2. Creation and regulation of the label itself

The same Order PCI/810/2018 integrates into the General Vehicle Regulations:

– A new section "E. Classification of vehicles by their pollutant potential" in Annex II.
– New definitions in Annex II, section A, about vehicles according to fuel and alternative technologies.
– The sign "V-25 Environmental label" in Annex XI "Vehicle signs," which uniformly regulates how environmental labels must be and displayed.

Additionally, in the annual resolutions of special traffic measures (for example, the 2026 one, issued under articles 5, 12, and 18 of the Revised Text of the Traffic Law, Royal Legislative Decree 6/2015), the DGT has incorporated the use of these labels to regulate issues such as access to high-occupancy vehicle lanes (HOV).

3. Management and provision of environmental information

The DGT centralizes the environmental information of vehicles and makes it available to:

– Citizens (free consultation of a vehicle’s environmental category).
– Municipalities, which use it to design and control their LEZ ordinances; this is described, for example, by the Bilbao City Council, classifying vehicles according to the DGT label to apply its LEZ ordinance (note on the first year of the LEZ).

The DGT itself explains on its portal that the environmental label is an instrument to "positively discriminate the most respectful vehicles" and serve municipal policies on mobility and taxation (DGT page on environmental labels).

Competence and sanctioning framework

4. The Traffic Law and Low Emission Zones

The Revised Text of the Law on Traffic, Motor Vehicle Circulation, and Road Safety (Royal Legislative Decree 6/2015) typifies as a serious infraction "not respecting circulation restrictions derived from (…) low emission zones,” letter z3) of the catalog of serious infractions (RDL 6/2015). With this:

– Municipalities set the access rules according to label (for example, prohibitions for vehicles without a label or only B in LEZs, as described in the press regarding the B label: elDiario.es article).
– The DGT and traffic forces can sanction non-compliance with those restrictions, using the Registry information (which label actually corresponds to each vehicle).

5. Coordination with other state policies

Order PCI/810/2018 explicitly links the DGT classification with the National Air Quality and Atmospheric Protection Plan 2013-2016 (Plan AIRE), indicating that:

– Classification by pollutant potential is an instrument at the service of Public Administrations to manage traffic, prioritize certain vehicles, grant parking discounts, etc.
– The environmental label, as a visible adhesive device, facilitates immediate identification by human and automatic means and allows effective control of environmental measures (Order PCI/810/2018).

In parallel, sectoral regulations such as the Climate Change Law and LEZ regulation push for a review and update of the label system, a debate in which Interior, the DGT, and other ministries participate, as seen in parliamentary initiatives and reactions from social organizations.

Municipalities wishing to introduce new restrictions in a Low Emission Zone (LEZ) must rely on the basic state regulations, respect their local competences, and follow a guarantee procedure: approval through municipal regulations (usually an ordinance), solid technical-environmental justification, public information and participation, coordination with other administrations, and respect for the principles of proportionality, non-discrimination, and non-regression. The key framework is formed by the Law 7/2021 on Climate Change and Royal Decree 1052/2022, complemented by air quality and traffic regulations. Additionally, autonomous communities may set additional requirements, and the jurisprudence of the Superior Courts of Justice has reinforced the requirements of transparency, impact analysis, and justification of measures. All this conditions both the creation of new LEZs and the tightening of existing restrictions.

1. Basic state regulatory framework

The general obligation to implement LEZs is established in article 14.3 of the Law 7/2021, of May 20, on climate change, which requires municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants (and those with more than 20,000 with air quality problems) to adopt sustainable urban mobility plans that include, at least, the establishment of LEZs before 2023. The law defines the LEZ as a continuous area where access, circulation, and parking of vehicles are restricted to improve air quality and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, according to the classification of the General Vehicle Regulations.

In development of this law, Royal Decree 1052/2022, of December 27, was approved, which sets the minimum requirements for municipal LEZs (purpose, scope, quantifiable objectives, delimitation criteria, minimum project content, public information, monitoring and review, inter-administrative coordination, signage, and referral to the traffic sanctioning regime). The decree itself highlights that it respects local autonomy and municipal competences under article 25.2 of the Law on the Bases of Local Regime.

These rules are supported by air quality legislation, especially Royal Decree 102/2011, of January 28, on air quality improvement, which sets pollutant limit values and requires air quality plans when exceeded. The environmental classification of vehicles introduced in the General Vehicle Regulations, modified by Order PCI/810/2018, also plays a role.

As additional context, there are aid regulations for municipalities to implement LEZs (Order TMA/892/2021 and its modifications: Order TMA/892/2021, Order TMA/1012/2022, Order TRM/1422/2023), as well as other environmental and energy regulations (for example, Royal Decree 1042/2017, Royal Decree 831/2013, or constitutional jurisprudence on climate competences in STC 87/2019). It is also mentioned that Law 7/2021 has been partially modified by Law 9/2025, on Sustainable Mobility. No further details on its specific content for LEZs are available in the consulted sources.

2. Competences, municipal instrument, and coordination

Royal Decree 1052/2022 specifies that:

• LEZs will be regulated within the scope of municipal competences in urban environment, traffic, and mobility, integrated into sustainable urban mobility plans.
• They will be “delimited and regulated” through municipal regulations, which in practice implies a mobility, circulation, or environment ordinance, approved through the local regulatory procedure (initiative, initial approval, public information, resolution of claims, and final approval).
• Coordination between administrations is foreseen, as well as the possibility of supra-municipal LEZs.

Law 7/2021 adds a relevant limit: any measure that implies a regression of already existing LEZs must have a prior report from the competent autonomous environmental body. Autonomous communities may also issue additional environmental protection regulations; no further concrete information on specific autonomous developments is available in the consulted sources.

3. Material requirements: objectives, proportionality, and non-discrimination

New restrictions in a LEZ must:

• Pursue as main objectives improving air quality and mitigating climate change, with quantifiable objectives included in the LEZ project (art. 3 of Royal Decree 1052/2022) and consistent with the values of Royal Decree 102/2011.
• Be designed so that the delimitation and intensity of restrictions are proportional and adequate to those objectives, avoiding worsening air or noise quality in adjacent areas.
• Be based on the vehicle emissions classification of the General Vehicle Regulations (modified by Order PCI/810/2018), which introduces an objective criterion to minimize risks of arbitrary discrimination.
• Provide for justified exceptional access (essential public services, emergencies, etc.), according to the royal decree.

The preamble of Royal Decree 1052/2022 explicitly mentions rulings from the Superior Courts of Justice of Madrid and Catalonia on LEZs, which require motivation, proportionality analysis and alternatives, and evaluation of economic, social, market and competition impacts, costs and benefits, and administrative burdens, leaving all this on record in the file. No further data on the specific rulings is available.

4. Procedure: project, public participation, and monitoring

The LEZ project must include, as minimum content, air quality diagnosis, quantifiable objectives, geographic delimitation, restriction measures (access, circulation, parking), modal shift promotion measures, and a monitoring system and indicators (annexes I and II of the royal decree). Local entities are obliged to submit the project to public information for 30 days, with announcement at least on the municipal website and in accordance with Law 27/2006 (cited in the royal decree itself) on access to information and participation in environmental matters.

Additionally, the municipality must establish a system of monitoring and periodic review (first review at three years and then every four), following indicators of air quality, climate change, mobility, noise, and energy efficiency, and may modify restrictions if objectives are not met.

5. Other contextual regulations

Within the climate and environmental policy framework, regulations such as the historical atmospheric protection regulation of 1975 (partially repealed), Order TED/542/2025 (Renocicla Program), and other sectoral and European implementation provisions are also cited, as well as errata corrections of Royal Decree-law 5/2023 and various agreements published in the BOE (Nuclear Equipment, Red Eléctrica de España, forestry activities). Regarding LEZs specifically, no further relevant information on concrete municipal requirements is available in these regulations.