# Germany - 'Umwelt Zones'



## peejay

This is being discussed on another forum at the moment....

Germany is introducing new environmental or 'Umwelt' zones to many of its cities.

Does anyone have anymore information on this please and how it affects visiting UK motorhomes?..

For example, we visited Koln last year and stayed at the city Stellplatz. This city is one of the many introducing an 'Umwelt Zone'. How would it affect me if I wanted to go again with my motorhome next year?










Gerhard (Boff), any ideas? :wink:

pete


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## Boff

Hi,

this is currently also a heated debate in Germany. Purpose is to reduce pollution by particulate matter in these areas. Motorhome owners living in one of these future zones have already announced that they will start legal action as soon as they are affected, and said they will bring the case up to Germany's supreme court, if needed. So it could still be that this all ends up "in a puff of smoke"...

But if not, then ALL motor vehicles that want to travel inside one of these zones need a sticker of the appropriate colour. Where green allows all zones, yellow only yellow and red zones, and red only red zones. Foreign vehicles are not exempted!

The stickers can be obtained at all German car registration offices. Even for foreign vehicles, so they say. Against a fee, of course. However these offices are of course not open 24/7, so especially short-time travellers will be in trouble.

I for myself (being German but living in Netherlands, so having Dutch registration) will most probably _disobey_ this regulation, if needed.

Best Regards,
Gerhard


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## Grizzly

Sorry...I'm not clear what an Umwelt zone is and how the 3 colours apply.

Explanation please !

G


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## eddied

*Umwelt zones in Italy*

:roll: 
oh yes, we have these in Italy too.
Translates (Boff will correct me if wrong) Green Zones, or 'Environmenrly friendly zones'. The French have them too, and I'm proud to say that my 2002 Chausson has the green sticker.
It basically means in the case of motorvehicles whether you comply with Eur 1, Eur2, Eur3, or Eur4 emission directives.
Causing great debate here in Italy too, because the Lombardy region (i.e. that area covering the big industrial cities, plus lakes Como, Maggiore, and the western coast of lake Garda amongst others, is to introduce legislation making most cities green zones, and therefore banning from the city any vehicle that doesn't comply with at least Eur3 or Eur4.
This is causing consternation amongst the many motorhome owners located there, and potential visitors. Because of their relative long working life as opposed to ordinary cars, many motorhomes are too old
to be compliant with the 3 and 4 directives.
On the other hand some of you RV owners will be OK if you have LPG conversions because they are exempt.
Many Italian cities apply these restrictions on a Sunday, when motor vehicles (except PSV and emergency) are completely banned from say
09:00 to 17:00 unless they comply with Eur 4 or are LPG or electrically power.
Makes life interesting!
saluti,
eddied


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## Grizzly

Thanks Eddied. Crystal clear. We have a Euro 4 compliant vehicle too. I wonder if you will have to get the green sticker at the border, before you leave or what ?

Incidentally...question for Boff. We heard that lorries are now paying tolls on some autobahn. Is there any likehood do you think that this might apply to motorhomes in the future ? I must say I'm surprised it has not happened before. The heavy traffic on the roads has increased enormously and the German government must be fed up with maintaining roads for those who drive straight through.

G


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## peejay

Hi Gerhard,

thanks for the reply, it would be great if you could keep us updated on any developments.

Theres a few links >here< and >here< that might help but bear in mind the usual strange google translation :wink: .

pete


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## Scotjimland

Also London soon

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/lez/default.aspx :roll:


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## Don_Madge

ScotJimland said:


> Also London soon
> 
> http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/lez/default.aspx :roll:


Jim,

This explains the LEZ HERE it could be a wallet shattering experience for some 8O 8O 8O

Me, I'm OK till 2012.

Don


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## Boff

*Re: Umwelt zones in Italy*



eddied said:


> It basically means in the case of motorvehicles whether you comply with Eur 1, Eur2, Eur3, or Eur4 emission directives.


Not in Germany, that would be far too easy. :evil:

In Germany you do have the normal EURO 1-4 classification according to EU emission directives. But these have only influence on the motor vehicle tax, so do not affect foreign vehicles at all.

The "Environmental Zone" (that is best translation for "Umweltzone") scheme in Germany is completely independent of the EURO classification and looks only at the particulate matter emissions. So, especially with Diesel engines: Even if you have a EURO 4 classification, it is not certain that you get the green sticker. And some EURO 1 or 2 vans do at least get the yellow one.

The fact that this scheme does not go along with EU directives is one of the issues that motorhome activists in Germany want to use to overthrow it.

I will keep you informed in this thread.

Best Regards,
Gerhard


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## JockandRita

Hi all,

We are off to Germany in August, so look forward to any info on the subject. Thanks to Peejay for raising it.

As for London, we will have to pack in work completely, and do all the London attractions in the next 12 months, as that's when we no longer qualify, without a daily payment of £100. We have more chance of motorhoming on the surface of the moon, than we have of wittingly paying such a fee. 

Scaremongering or what. :evil: :evil: :evil: 

Jock.


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## adbe

I got the London emissions booklet through the post today, real handy for us on Mull. The last time I passed through London was about 12 years ago. I avoid the M25 like the plague, but it occurs to me that I'd better check if the area of influence is as stringent there!


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## Scotjimland

adbe said:


> I avoid the M25 like the plague


Shouldn't be too hard to avoid it on Mull .. :lol:

but 'car surfing' is catching on though :roll:


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## Boff

JockandRita said:


> We are off to Germany in August, so look forward to any info on the subject. Thanks to Peejay for raising it.


Hi,

this is the status so far: The law regulating the "Umwelt Zones" has become active on 1st March 2007. So far the city of Stuttgart was going ahead, planning to introduce Umwelt Zones from 1st July 2007, however this has been postponed to not before 1st January 2008. Although they do not admit it but most probably the campaigns launched by motorhome activists in Germany, plus some still pending legal issues which could have been used at court to counteract the whole process, have made the city councillors back off for the moment.

*This means that there will be no Umwelt Zones in Germany during 2007!*

The regulation is explicitly stating that also vehicles not registered in Germany have to comply. Stickers will be available at the certified motor vehicle inspection centres of "TÜV", "DEKRA" and "GTÜ", at garages and magistrate's offices. They will cost between 5 and 10 Euro. Stickers issued from any foreign authorities are not valid in Germany!

"Umwelt" stickers are colour coded, red stands for high emission, yellow for middle and green for low. Vehicles exceeding the emission values for the red sticker will get no sticker at all, they may not drive into any Umwelt Zone anymore. This will affect most Diesel

Red stickers may drive into red zones, but not yellow or green, yellow stickers may drive into red and yellow but not green zones. Only vehicles having green stickers may drive into all zones.

Best Regards,
Gerhard


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## adbe

Boff that is really clear thanks!

Scotjimlad, thanks for the car surfing clip. it'll be nasty if it catches on, especially on single track


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## Don_Madge

From what I can gather this is the latest on the "Umwelt Zones maybe Gerhard would like to comment or correct it if it's wrong.

From 1 January 2008 a total of 33 German cities will require all motorists to purchase a "Pollution Badge" in the form of a windscreen sticker in order to enter city centre ‘Umwelt Zones’ (green zones). 

The participating cities are: Augsburg, Berlin, Braunschweig, Köln (Cologne), Darmstadt, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Hannover, Heidelberg, Islfeld, Karlsruhe, Kassel, Leipzig, Leonburg, Ludwigsburg, Madgeburg, Mannheim, Mühlacker, München (Munich), Neu-Ulm, Nürnberg (Nuremberg), Pforzheim, Pleidelsheim, Regensburg, Reutlingen, Ruhr Area, Schwäbish-Gmund, Stuttgart, Tübingen and Ulm.

You must present your vehicle registration document at Pollution Badge (Umwelt Plakette) sales outlets, including vehicle repair centres, car dealers, MOT (Tüv) stations and vehicle licensing offices, and you will be issued with a badge, coloured (Red/Yellow/Green) according to your vehicle’s Euro emission rating. 

The cost of the badge is understood to be between €5 and €10 and, once issued, covers you throughout Germany for the life of your vehicle. Failure to display a badge could incur a fine of €40. Enforcement will be managed by the police, local authorities and traffic wardens.

The system seems fairer than the LEZ as it effects all motor vehicles and the badge lasts for the life of the vehicle and covers all the participating cities.

Most of this info is Courtesy of the Caravan Club.

Safe travelling

Don


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## Boff

Hi, 

Don's latest posting accurately describes the current, "official", situation. 

However, legal struggles are still ongoing, especially regarding older motorhomes: The problem is that almost 50% of all German motorhomes are too old to get a Pollution Badge at all, at least without retrofitting a particle filter. And the makers of refit particle filters are not too much interested here, as there would be many different filter models required, each only for a very low total number of vehicles.

So, if it goes as planned then the Umwelt Zone scheme would effectively ground a large number of German motorhomes. To avoid a legal defeat, German authorities currently think about making exceptions: Maybe that owners of affected vehicles who live in an Umwelt Zone will be allowed to travel in and out of their zones. Another discussed model is to make an exception for motorhomes in general. 

Meanwhile also the motorhome manufacturers have realized that not - as they had obviously hoped earlier - all owners of such old motorhomes will run and buy shiny new ones. So they now also have started campaigning for exceptions.

The fact that local councils, the federal states, and the federal gouvernment all have their say in this, does not exactly make things easier, so it could even happen that the introduction of Umwelt Zones will be delayed once again.

Best Regards,
Gerhard


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## Don_Madge

Gerhard,

Many thanks for the insight into the problem for some German motorhomers.

Please keep us updated if you can.

Best wishes.

Don


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