Spain's Congress Approves Landmark Sustainable Mobility Law

Historic Approval in Congress

The Spanish Congress of Deputies has given its final approval to the new Sustainable Mobility Law on Wednesday, October 8, 2025. The legislation passed with 174 votes in favor, 170 against, and four abstentions, marking a significant milestone in Spain's efforts to modernize its transport system and align with European environmental objectives. The bill will now proceed to the Senate for further processing.

This law is considered essential for Spain to access approximately 10 billion euros from the European NextGenerationEU recovery funds, which are tied to the country's Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan.

Pillars of a New Mobility Paradigm

The Sustainable Mobility Law is built upon four fundamental pillars designed to reshape how people and goods move across Spain:

• Mobility as a Social Right: For the first time, the law recognizes mobility as a fundamental right for all citizens, ensuring accessible and inclusive transport options across both urban and rural areas.
• Clean and Healthy Mobility: A primary objective is the decarbonization of the transport sector, which currently accounts for a significant portion of Spain's greenhouse gas emissions. The law sets targets for reducing emissions by 2030 and 2040, aiming for climate neutrality by 2050.
• Digital and Innovative Transport System: The legislation promotes the use of digital technologies to optimize transport networks, including the creation of an Integrated Mobility Data Space (EDIM) for data sharing and analysis.
• Better Investment for Citizens' Needs: Public funds will be directed towards projects that offer the highest social and environmental value, fostering efficiency and innovation in transport infrastructure and services.

Key Measures and Impact

The new law introduces several concrete measures to achieve its ambitious goals:

• Sustainable Mobility Plans for Companies: Companies with more than 200 employees will be obligated to implement sustainable mobility plans for their workplaces. These plans aim to reduce private car use by promoting active mobility (walking, cycling), public transport, shared mobility, and teleworking.
• Restrictions on Short-Haul Flights: The law includes provisions to restrict domestic flights where a rail alternative of less than 2.5 hours exists, excluding connections to international routes. It also encourages the recovery of night train services.
• Promotion of Electric Vehicles and Infrastructure: Significant emphasis is placed on boosting electric vehicle adoption through the mass installation of charging points and a revision of the DGT's environmental labels to better reflect real emissions.
• Electrification of Ports and Airports: The law mandates that ports ensure the supply of electrical energy to docked vessels and port machinery by 2030, and promotes the electrification of airports.
• Public Transport Financing: The central administration will participate in the financing of urban public transport services managed by local entities, ensuring stable funding.

The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, led by Minister Óscar Puente, has championed this legislation, asserting that it will provide 'legal certainty, stability, and coherence' to Spain's mobility system.

European Commitment and Political Dynamics

The approval of this law is a critical commitment made by Spain to the European Commission, directly impacting the disbursement of 10 billion euros in European funds. The legislative process saw intense negotiations, particularly with the Podemos party, whose abstention was secured following an agreement to reinforce environmental criteria related to the expansion of El Prat airport. This agreement includes a commitment to a binding report ensuring any project for El Prat complies with the emission reduction targets of the European 'Fit for 55' directive, aiming for a 55% reduction by 2030 and climate neutrality by 2050.