Environmental red tape

[Borris]

Can anyone tell me why the EU has't developed a common environmental vehicle sticker system with common EU rules to cover all member states? One sticker for the whole of the EU.
I have been trying to understand the various requirements that different states impose. It's a total burecratic mess! Each country does it's own thing which were it not for the EU common policy aims, would be fine. A simple question like, Do I need a sticker? seems to be dificult to establish. Take France for instance, l have applied for a Crit air sticker because their system appears to be so variable that in the end I hadn't a clue as to whether I will actually need one or not. Also it's cheap so it wasn't worth messing about. I wouldn't even expect the average French inhabitant to know the day to day details and changes, let alone foriegn visitors. They seem to have two systems one of permenant zones for towns and cities and another with temporary ones which can effect whole departments and are subject to changing weather and polution levels. These two types can overlay and as far as I can understand, the rules are anyones guess.
Some information states that these crit air stickers are compulsory on all vehicles and that heavy fines can be imposed if you don't display one, whilst others imply that they are only required if you wish to enter a controlled zone.
Having applied for said sticker online, even though I have no intention of going near Paris or the other cities mentioned, I will almost certainly be back home long before the damn thing arrives, such is the apparent speed of the machinery that generates them!
That's it, Rant over.

 

[Hotel California]

Becose it's europe....

 

[Jabberwocky]

It has to be resolved. Eventually wont be able to see out of windscreen....
Just silly.

 

[Borris]

Becose it's europe....

I agree Wim. Rhetorical question I know, but I needed to blow off steam after having spent several hours, yes several hours on my Ipad trying to order the Crit air sticker. Nothing seemed to work but got there in the end.

 

[caliblue]

We ordered our's 3rd of April and are still waiting for it to come.
We have today sent an e-mail to chivvy them up.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Demand must be growing......applied for ours last summer and came by first class post by what seemed return. Same for German Umwelt sticker.

Edit: Or is that because we are leaving Europe we now get second class service?

 

[flying banana]

does the eu6 engine need one?

 

[Jabberwocky]

does the eu6 engine need one?

As far as I am aware all vehicles need one. The sticker displays the vehicles environmental rating based on what is in your V5C cert says your particulate emissions are (Euro6 in our case). Our T6 My17 150 DSG comes out as a "4" rated vehicle. Here is a link if you need to get one.
https://www.umwelt-plakette.de/nc/en/store.html

 

[Hotel California]

I agree Wim. Rhetorical question I know, but I needed to blow off steam after having spent several hours, yes several hours on my Ipad trying to order the Crit air sticker. Nothing seem to work but got there in the end.

When i orderd mine last year it was no problem , all very clear and orderd and deliverd in no time

 

[WelshGas]

As far as I am aware all vehicles need one. The sticker displays the vehicles environmental rating based on what is in your V5C cert says your particulate emissions are (Euro6 in our case). Our T6 My17 150 DSG comes out as a "4" rated vehicle. Here is a link if you need to get one.
https://www.umwelt-plakette.de/nc/en/store.html

Interestingly as does the T5.1 Euro 5 California

 

[flying banana]

As far as I am aware all vehicles need one. The sticker displays the vehicles environmental rating based on what is in your V5C cert says your particulate emissions are (Euro6 in our case). Our T6 My17 150 DSG comes out as a "4" rated vehicle. Here is a link if you need to get one.
https://www.umwelt-plakette.de/nc/en/store.html

cheers

 

[Volkywagen]

I’m going across France next week to south Spain. I don’t intend to go anywhere near big cities, just sticking to the coast, ish.
Do I need this/a sticker?

 

[Borris]

I’m going across France next week to south Spain. I don’t intend to go anywhere near big cities, just sticking to the coast, ish.
Do I need this/a sticker?

Having read aIl sorts of online advice, I still haven't got a clue.

 

[Jabberwocky]

I’m going across France next week to south Spain. I don’t intend to go anywhere near big cities, just sticking to the coast, ish.
Do I need this/a sticker?

I am guessing you should be fine.......but I suggest you have a look around this web site just to be sure......
https://www.certificat-air.gouv.fr/en/

 

[Jonathan Duke]

I'll be doing a 5-week euro-tour this Summer.... As I don't plan to drive thru any major city centres, I'm not going to invest any time in researching if I need a sticker or not. I got a German one for the factory tour last year, but didn't need it in the end, as didn't get anywhere near any of the "zones" where a sticker is required.

Generally, I don't even buy a Swissnyland or Austrian vignette, as prefer the non-motorway routes anyway, in additional to avoiding any major cites.

The "stickering" system, is for heavily congested routes, were vehicle pollution is attributing to poor air quality, worse than EU minimum standards..... So, IMO these routes are best avoided anyway.

In Mexico City, to mitigate pollution/congestion they allow odd numbered plates one day, then even numbers the next! To counteract the rules, some Mexicans buy 2x cars, one even and the second odd.....

Calis are build for Coast roads, and Mountain/Countryside routes anyway..... So, get out there and enjoy

 

[Jabberwocky]

I'll be doing a 5-week euro-tour this Summer.... As I don't plan to drive thru any major city centres, I'm not going to invest any time in researching if I need a sticker or not. I got a German one for the factory tour last year, but didn't need it in the end, as didn't get anywhere near any of the "zones" where a sticker is required.

Generally, I don't even buy a Swissnyland or Austrian vignette, as prefer the non-motorway routes anyway, in additional to avoiding any major cites.

The "stickering" system, is for heavily congested routes, were vehicle pollution is attributing to poor air quality, worse than EU minimum standards..... So, IMO these routes are best avoided anyway.

In Mexico City, to mitigate pollution/congestion they allow odd numbered plates one day, then even numbers the next! To counteract the rules, some Mexicans buy 2x cars, one even and the second odd.....

Calis are build for Coast roads, and Mountain/Countryside routes anyway..... So, get out there and enjoy

I would love to be this chilled but I want to go where the mood takes me (we like a bit of culture and so city life is quite important to us as well as all the coast and the mountains) and don't want to be tripped up so I will buy the stickers.................sorry!

 

[Jonathan Duke]

I would love to be this chilled but I want to go where the mood takes me (we like a bit of culture and so city life is quite important to us) and don't want to be tripped up so I will buy the stickers.................sorry!

Suppose there's always a Park N'Ride, for visiting city centres, as I'm pretty sure anywhere that requires a sticker, won't have much in the way of parking anyway.. Maybe some underground parking, for an eye-watering hourly rate.

 

[Jonathan Duke]

On the other-hand...... My German sticker does start a few conversations.... Then I get to boast about my factory tour

 

[Jabberwocky]

Suppose there's always a Park N'Ride, for visiting city centres, as I'm pretty sure anywhere that requires a sticker, won't have much in the way of parking anyway.. Maybe some underground parking, for a eye-watering hourly rate.

We will be travelling through the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Norway and Sweden later this year so will be a little wiser (I hope!) when we get back.

 

[Jabberwocky]

On the other-hand...... My German sticker does start a few conversations.... Then I get to boast about my factory tour

Ooooo......and when is that planned?

 

[Jonathan Duke]

Ooooo......and when is that planned?

I did the factory tour last Easter, organised by this great forum..... I've had the German sticker on display on my Cali's window since, and it does seem to lure people into conversation.

 

[burnercan]

I would love to be this chilled but I want to go where the mood takes me (we like a bit of culture and so city life is quite important to us as well as all the coast and the mountains) and don't want to be tripped up so I will buy the stickers.................sorry!

So true. As mentioned before, it would be nice if the EU had a single sticker (or other system) to cover all of this. All information I have found on the subject is very difficult to understand. Again, maybe I'm thick.

 

[Borris]

So true. As mentioned before, it would be nice if the EU had a single sticker (or other system) to cover all of this. All information I have found on the subject is very difficult to understand. Again, maybe I'm thick.

No it's not you. These sites are very misleading. Take the Austrian Umwelt Pickerl or what ever they call it. One prominent online site starts by saying that the sticker is mandatory on all vehicles but goes on to say that it is only a requirement on lorries and buses, cars being volutary at the moment. Which is it? The similar German site has the same mandatory warning but then implies that you only need the sticker to enter the environmental restriction zones. Very confusing!
I actually think that they are deliberately misleading in order to get as many people to join the sticker fest.

 

[burnercan]

I actually think that they are deliberately misleading in order to get as many people to join the sticker fest.

It would seem.

I've driven around Europe quite a bit the last couple of years, never had a sticker.. Never had anyone ask about one either. Until I read this thread yesterday, I hadn't even heard of this requirement (or what ever it is). Ignorance has indeed been bliss!! Now that I know however, I'll have to get it figured out. For no other reason than it bugs me to not understand.

 

[aileron346]

Looking at the history of EU regulations, they seem to often start with national or state initiatives, but then subsequently get developed into a common EU regulation. So I reckon in time this will happen - it’s just that air pollution regulation is in a developmental phase, and they need to heed the views of all the EU countries.

Although many people critics this sort of international regulation, I think generally it makes life simpler and easier and have no doubt that we will rue the day that we got into this whole Brexit mess. The ‘red tape’ critics of the EU are about to find out what real red tape is like as we return to our 70s isolation.