From October 1st, circulation restrictions for Euro 5 diesel vehicles could come into effect in the Po Valley regions. The measure is designed to reduce emission levels in one of the most polluted areas of Italy and all of Europe. However, the ban will not indiscriminately affect the entire Po Valley. The regions have the option to adopt alternative measures to reduce emissions, as Piedmont has done and as Veneto and Emilia-Romagna seem intent on doing. At the moment, restrictions are confirmed in Lombardy.
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The vehicles involved
The provision, which was initially supposed to come into effect a year ago, on October 1, 2025, involves Euro 5 Diesel vehicles, that is, those that fall within the environmental class approved according to the European anti-pollution standards introduced mandatorily for new cars starting from September 2011 and remained in force until the entry of the Euro 6 standard in September 2015.
These vehicles have advanced filtering systems compared to previous generations, but are still responsible for releasing large quantities of nitrogen oxides and fine particulate matter, especially in urban areas with high traffic density.
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Lombardy
While the initial version involved all urban centers with more than 30,000 residents, the scope of the measure that will come into effect in less than a month imposes the ban only on municipalities with a population exceeding 100,000 inhabitants. However, the regulation gives regional institutions the possibility to avoid a total ban, provided that alternative measures are activated that guarantee an equivalent reduction of pollutants.
This clause has created a differentiated and uneven picture within the Po Valley. In Lombardy, the ban is confirmed on weekdays in the main urban centers (Milan, Brescia, Bergamo, and Monza), where owners of the affected vehicles will have to comply with the stop from Monday to Friday, between 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Restrictions for Euro 5 diesel vehicles will come into effect starting October 1, 2026 for passenger cars, October 1, 2027 for categories M2, N1, and N2, and October 1, 2028 for all other categories.
