The French ''Crit'Air'' air quality certificate () is a
vignette
Vignette may refer to:
* Vignette (entertainment), a sketch in a sketch comedy
* Vignette (graphic design), decorative designs in books (originally in the form of leaves and vines) to separate sections or chapters
* Vignette (literature), short, i ...
(a secure sticker) issued to show a vehicle's compliance with
European emission standards
The European emission standards are vehicle emission standards that regulate pollution from the use of new land surface vehicles sold in the European Union and European Economic Area member states and the United Kingdom, and ships in European ...
.
''Crit'Air'' covers all road vehicles, including motorcycles, quad bikes, private cars, vans, trucks, coaches and buses.
Under the
Law on Energy Transition for Green Growth, local councils are allowed to provide benefits only to less polluting vehicles, and vignettes enable them to be identified. The system also allows urban areas to restrict the use of the more polluting vehicles, either at all times, or when pollution levels are high.
''Crit'Air'' was developed by the
French Ministry of the Environment in collaboration with the French
Ministry of the Interior
An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law enforcement.
In some states, the ...
to reduce the environmental impact of road transport.
Drivers are required to place the vignette on the inside of the lower-right hand corner of their windscreen; different colour vignettes indicate different emissions classes.
The vignettes can be ordered online for payment of a small fee, currently €3.67 including postage, after submission of a copy of the
vehicle registration certificate
A vehicle registration certificate is an official
document providing proof of registration of a vehicle. It is used primarily by governments as a means of ensuring that all road vehicles are on the national vehicle register, but is also used as ...
for verification of the emissions class. Many online third party sellers also provide a different interface to order ''Crit'Air'' vignettes for a higher price, typically €20-30.
Categories
There are six different coloured vignettes, relating to six categories. The category into which a vehicle falls depends on the engine type (electric, hydrogen, petrol or diesel) and the European emission standard (Euro standard). Where the emission standard is not recorded, the date of first registration is used instead to determine a category. The categories are not based on actual technical measurement of the vehicle in question.
Environmental zones
France has two types of zone that have emissions-related traffic restrictions. Both are enforced by the use of the ''Crit'Air'' vignettes.
ZCR
In a ' (ZCR) there is a permanent requirement for vehicles to display ''Crit'Air'' vignettes, and certain classes of vehicle are always prohibited from driving within the zone.
ZPA
In a ''zone de protection de l'air'' (ZPA), which tends to be significantly larger than the ZCR zones, traffic is only restricted by public announcement at times of high
air pollution
Air pollution is the presence of substances in the Atmosphere of Earth, air that are harmful to humans, other living beings or the environment. Pollutants can be Gas, gases like Ground-level ozone, ozone or nitrogen oxides or small particles li ...
; and all vehicles must display a vignette at those times.
If a ZPA applies to an entire ''département'' then it is termed a ZPAd ().
See also
*
Low-emission zone
A low-emission zone (LEZ) is a defined area where access by some polluting vehicles is restricted or deterred with the aim of improving air quality. This may favour vehicles such as bicycles, micromobility vehicles, (certain) alternative fuel v ...
References
{{Reflist
External links
Official website
Air pollution control systems