Traffic restrictions for Euro 5 diesel vehicles in the Po Valley from 1 October 2026

From 1 October, traffic restrictions for Euro 5 diesel vehicles could come into force in the Po Valley regions. The measure is designed to reduce the level of emissions in one of the most polluted areas of Italy and the whole of Europe. The stop, however, will not affect the entire Po Valley without distinction. The regions have the possibility of adopting alternative measures to reduce emissions, as Piedmont has done and as Veneto and Emilia-Romagna seem intent on doing. At the moment the restrictions are confirmed in Lombardy.

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The provision, which initially should have come into force a year ago, on 1 October 2025, involves Euro 5 Diesel vehicles, i.e. those that fall into 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 the release of large quantities of nitrogen oxides and fine particulate matter, especially in urban areas with high traffic density.

If in the initial version all urban centers with more than 30 thousand residents were involved, the scope of application of the measure which will come into force in less than a month imposes the block only on municipalities with a population exceeding 100 thousand inhabitants. The law, however, gives regional institutions the possibility of avoiding a total stop, provided that alternative measures are activated that guarantee an equivalent reduction of pollutants.

This clause has given rise to a differentiated and non-homogeneous picture within the Po Valley Basin. In Lombardy, the lockdown is confirmed on weekdays in the main urban centers (Milan, Brescia, Bergamo and Monza), where the owners of the affected cars will have to respect the lockdown from Monday to Friday, between 7.30 am and 7.30 pm. The restrictions for Euro 5 diesel vehicles will come into force from 1 October 2026 for passenger cars, from 1 October 2027 for categories M2, N1 and N2 and from 1 October 2028 for all other categories.