Italy Diesel Car Ban: 4 Regions – Oct 2024
Italy to Impose Diesel Car Restrictions in Northern Regions
Updated June 12, 2025
starting in October, four northern Italian regions—Veneto, Lombardy, Piedmont, and Emilia-Romagna—will implement strict limits on older diesel car circulation. The move aims to curb emissions and improve air quality, according to Il Corriere della Sera.
The restrictions target diesel vehicles in the Euro 5 emission class. These cars will be banned from circulating in municipalities with over 30,000 residents during weekday working hours, specifically between 8:30 a.m.and 6:30 p.m. the ban will not apply on weekends and is scheduled to remain in effect until April 15,2026.
Motorists who violate the ban on Euro 5 vehicles could face fines up to €679, La Repubblica reports.
First announced in September 2023, the restrictions are expected to affect over 1.3 million vehicles across the four regions.The clampdown is part of a broader effort to reduce air pollution in the Po valley, an area cited among those with the worst air quality in Europe.
Environmental watchdog Legambiente reports that of 25 Italian cities exceeding legal limits for coarse particulate matter (PM10) in 2024, 21 were located in the Po Valley.
Italian Transport Minister Matteo Salvini has voiced strong opposition to the planned restrictions. “It’s absolutely unacceptable that euro 5 cars will no longer be allowed to circulate,” he said, criticizing the measures as part of the European Green Deal.
“it’s absolutely unacceptable that Euro 5 cars will no longer be allowed to circulate,”
salvini, leader of the League party, said he is working on an urgent law amendment to prevent the ban from taking effect in October. He emphasized the government must ”prevent millions of Italians from having to leave their Euro 5 cars in the garage.”
Euro 5 is a Europe-wide emission standard introduced in 2011 to limit harmful pollutants from vehicles. It was superseded by the more stringent Euro 6 standard in 2015.
What’s next
As of Wednesday, details regarding the amendment’s submission to parliament and its potential impact—whether to repeal or delay the restrictions—remain unclear.Motorists can verify their vehicle’s emission class on the Transport Ministry website or by checking their vehicle registration documents.