The regulations for Malaga's Low Emission Zone (LEZ) remain in effect despite a recent ruling by the High Court of Justice of Andalusia (TSJA) that annuls part of its regulation. The judicial decision considers there to be unequal treatment between vehicles registered in the capital and those registered elsewhere but not domiciled in the city.
The Councilor for Mobility, María Trinidad Hernández Méndez, stated that the judicial resolution "is not yet final" and that the City Council has 29 days to study the ruling and decide whether to file an appeal with the Supreme Court. "The low emission zone is active and the system continues to capture images," the councilor affirmed, confirming that vehicles without an environmental sticker not registered in Malaga continue to face restricted access, while those registered in the city can circulate freely.
The ruling specifically questions the domicile criterion, partially siding with Vox. The court considers it insufficiently justified that vehicles without an environmental sticker can circulate within the LEZ solely by being domiciled in Malaga, as this differential treatment compared to non-domiciled vehicles lacks a supporting technical basis. Nevertheless, the ruling upholds the rest of the ordinance and recalls the legal obligation for municipalities with over 50,000 inhabitants to establish such low emission zones.
In light of this scenario, the Malaga City Council is working on two fronts: on one hand, it is exploring the possibility of appealing the judicial resolution and, on the other, it is analyzing potential modifications to the ordinance should the judicial pronouncement become final. The implementation of the LEZ is in response to compliance with the Law on Climate Change and Energy Transition, which requires large cities to reduce emissions and access grants for sustainable transport.
Until a final resolution is reached, the current regulations will continue to apply in Malaga, and the access control system will continue to operate normally, as reiterated by the City Council.




