Bucharest plans low emission zone restricting older vehicles from November 2027

Phased restrictions in the capital

Bucharest Mayor Ciprian Ciucu presented a municipal proposal on 2 October 2026 to introduce the capital's first Low Emission Zone. The initiative responds to air pollution levels that exceed statutory limits fourfold, driven by vehicular traffic and solid fuel heating. Under the phased framework, 80,507 non-Euro cars manufactured before 1991 will be prohibited from entering the central perimeter starting 1 November 2027. The restrictions are designed to broaden annually over a five-year timeline, progressively barring older vehicle classes from the centre and extending bans across the entire city through 2032. The measure must receive approval from the General Council of Bucharest before taking effect.

Ciucu addressed the contentious nature of the environmental measures during the public debate.

I will say a word that many mayors ran away from: Low Emission Zones. We want to implement them. Once again, I drew the short straw, and during my short mandate I must make the most unpopular decisions. But I take responsibility for them.

Scope of affected vehicles

Data from the Romanian Auto Registry in 2025 recorded 2,867,404 motor vehicles registered across Bucharest and Ilfov County. Municipal authorities estimate that nearly 1.3 million of these vehicles represent aging and polluting models. Following the 2027 central ban on non-Euro cars, non-Euro models will be barred across all of Bucharest from 1 November 2028, while 1,764 Euro 1 vehicles will be excluded from the central zone. The central restriction extends to 86,828 Euro 2 vehicles in 2029, 292,152 Euro 3 vehicles in 2030, and 835,856 Euro 4 vehicles in 2031 alongside Euro 3. In 2032, central access will close to 426,689 Euro 5 vehicles, while Euro 3 cars will face a complete city-wide ban.

Household heating transitions

Solid fuel residential heating constitutes the second primary pollution driver identified by municipal authorities. National Institute of Statistics data shows 18,593 homes in Bucharest rely on wood and coal for heating, with 15,200 properties mapped in neighbourhoods such as Ferentari, Rahova, Giurgiului, Giulești Sârbi, Chitila Triaj, Cățelu, and Colentina. City Hall plans to launch a pilot program in 2027 to finance connections to the natural gas network, with broader expansion scheduled between 2028 and 2030. The municipal strategy aims to replace domestic combustion systems before tighter European Union air quality standards for nitrogen dioxide and fine particulates take effect in 2030.

Legal mandates and health impact

The plan aligns with Law 155/2023 on sustainable urban mobility and the Urban Planning Code, which mandates low emission zones in Romanian cities by August 2027. Romania remains under European Union infringement procedures and was condemned by the Court of Justice of the European Union in 2020 for persistent PM10 particulate violations in Bucharest. High concentrations of nitrogen dioxide remain clustered along central traffic arteries. Beatrice Mahler of the Romanian Society of Pneumology stated during the debate that elevated PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations correlate with monthly increases of 2,000 to 3,600 respiratory hospitalizations in Bucharest, alongside elevated cardiovascular risks.