“As soon as they give the green light, bam!” DGT admits that the labels are outdated and prepares for their transformation

The environmental label system of the DGT, implemented in 2016, has been under scrutiny for years for not accurately reflecting the reality of car emissions. Now, Pere Navarro, the General Director of Traffic, has acknowledged in an interview on RNE that its reform is not only necessary but inevitable.

“No one disputes that the current label system has become outdated. The question is the timing of making the change,” Navarro pointed out, making it clear that the ball is in the court of the Ministries of Industry and Ecological Transition. “We follow everything that is happening in other countries, but this is a topic led by the Ministry. We are just an instrument in this.”

Two cars with the same technology and age could have different labels

The change will come… but without harming the citizen

The DGT assures that it is ready to take action as soon as it receives the green light. “At the moment the conditions are met and we are given the green light… bam!” We will be able to make a proposal and the update,” Navarro explained.

However, he sent a message of reassurance to drivers: any modification will come with the guarantee that there will be no negative retroactive effects. In other words, anyone who currently has a label will not see it taken away tomorrow to exclude them from Low Emission Zones (LEZ).

A system that no longer fits reality

The current classification distinguishes between vehicles CERO, ECO, C, B and those without a label (the most polluting). In practice, this has generated controversial situations. For example, a mild hybrid (MHEV) or a gas vehicle (CNG or LPG) receives the ECO label despite offering minimal improvements in consumption and/or emissions, while a modern and efficient diesel may be left with a C.

The result is that many experts and municipalities have called for a reform that truly rewards efficiency and not just the type of technology or the age of the vehicle.

From engine labels to emission labels

The main novelty that is being considered is to abandon the current criterion, based on the type of engine and the registration date, to move to one focused on the actual levels of pollutant emissions.

This would mean a true revolution: two cars with the same technology and age could have different labels depending on how much they actually pollute, something that would align the classification with the original goal of improving air quality in cities.

Although Pere Navarro did not go into details about how the reform of the environmental label system will be approached, the context points to a progressive tightening:

• Greater differentiation between plug-in hybrids, conventional hybrids, and micro-hybrids.
• Review of the most modern diesels, which in practice pollute less than some models with an ECO label.
• An adaptation to what other European countries are already doing, which have opted for systems more aligned with real emissions rather than the year of registration.

In any case, what is already a fact is that the reform of the DGT labels is a matter of time. The current system fulfilled its function at the time, but the transition to a cleaner vehicle fleet requires a classification that is fairer, clearer, and more transparent.

As Navarro said, when the time comes, it will be a “bam!”… although it remains to be seen when that snap will occur.