Some pre-2006 diesel and pre-2000 gasoline may carry an environmental label

DGT emission labels

Environmental labels are more present than ever on our roads. These colored stickers, promoted by the General Directorate of Traffic with the National Air Quality Plan 2013-2016, allow cars to be easily identified based on their polluting emissions. Nevertheless, wrongly, the DGT took the year of registration as a reference to grant or not the badge and not for its classification within the European regulations on emissions. Thus, many of the vehicles, due to having been registered outside the date stipulated by the DGT, they were left without their sticker despite legally being able to wear it.

Since the implementation of the anti-pollution protocol in some cities of our country, environmental stickers have been a headache for many drivers. The first controversy arose after the discrepancy between the information published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) and that published by the General Directorate of Traffic, which determined whether or not the vehicles deserved to obtain the sticker based on their license plate. . This has caused a large number of vehicles, both diesel and gasoline, despite complying with gas emission regulations, to have been left without their environmental label for having a registration date prior to 2000 or 2006, depending on whether they are gasoline. or diesel.

Unlike the DGT, the information published by the BOE specifies that what decides whether or not a car obtains the environmental label it will be marked by its classification within the European regulations on emissions (the minimum, distinctive B, will be Euro 3 gasoline or Euro 4 diesel engines).

tailpipe emissions

The legislation it was clear: all gasoline vehicles from 2000 and diesel from 2006 could carry the sticker. The problem is that, faced with this situation, many car brands they anticipated to this regulation and began to market vehicle models with Euro 3 or Euro 4 gasoline engines since 1999. That is, fit to wear the badge despite the fact that they were manufactured “out of date”.

To understand the seriousness and importance of this problem, we have to analyze in figures the number of best-selling cars in Spain in 2005. Here we find that many of them (more than 500.000 units) already had Euro 3 and Euro 4 engines in manufactures prior to that imposed by the regulations. We are talking about models such as the Seat Ibiza (1999), Seat León (2000), Volkswagen Golf (2004), Citroën C4 (2004) or Ford Focus (1998).

However, It was of little use this preventive measure of the automobile manufacturers, since the DGT applied the regulations based on the date of registration of the vehicle, excluding the rest of the cars that, despite complying with the European emission standard, were left without their sticker because they were not registered after 2000, in the case of gasoline, and 2006, in the case of diesel.

The controversy is served

This situation has caused a lot of controversy in forums and social networks, openly protesting this exclusion that they consider "illogical" and "illegal". from the DGT have recognized the mistake and they affirm that it is possible that there will be more cases of cataloging failure. In this situation, it will be the owner of the affected vehicle who must solve all this mess without any fault...

However, some Internet users say that, from Traffic, they are being requesting an emissions certificate to reclassify the car in order to obtain/pay for the environmental sticker. Let's remember that manufacturers usually charge for an emissions certificate, being an expense that, according to many Internet users, no driver should assume, since the error that this disbursement of money implies has been caused by the DGT itself.

BMW exhaust pipe

In short, in this situation, if we have a vehicle that on the technical sheet indicates that it has a Euro 3 gasoline or Euro 4 diesel engine, we will have full right to a badgeregardless of enrollment date. However, we probably have to pay a few euros to get it.

How do I check if my car is also affected?

It is difficult to calculate how many drivers are really affected, but it is clear that there has been a failure to apply the regulations. In this situation, if you think you may have been affected by these inconsistencies in the regulations, you should continue these steps to check if it deserves or not the environmental badge of the DGT, although we already warned you that it won't come for free:

  1. analyze the data sheet of the car and check the make and model to see what euro corresponds. If it is a Euro 3 gasoline engine or a Euro 4 diesel, we would be entitled to a badge, regardless of the date of registration.
  2. Request to the manufacturer a emissions certificate Euro. Some brands offer it for free and others may charge.
  3. Once we obtain the certificate, we must go to the ITV to modify the technical sheet of the vehicle in accordance with the new emissions certificate. This procedure has coste about two euros.
  4. Finally, we must contact the DGT for update technical log of the car and give you the sticker. The coste of this procedure is about eight euros.

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      Juan said

    It seems like a small setback not to have a sticker but it is that your car IS NOT WORTH ANYTHING. Economic loss that not everyone can afford. You use it to work, loss of income if you don't change cars.
    A bungling of our administrators that should not go unpunished.
    And then they say pay taxes. Save and keep as much as you can to make up for these thefts.

      Joan Taule said

    Mercedes asks me €540 + VAT to have the certificate. Total abuse.

      Edu said

    But the fines are not thrown by the registration? Then, what would I have to appeal the fine?