Rome spares 4 million Euro 5 diesels from Po Valley ban, at least a year's grace
Why it matters: This keeps roughly 1.2 million cars and 200,000 commercial vehicles in the Po Valley basin (Milan, Turin, Bologna catchment) legally on the road rather than pushed into forced early scrappage. For workshops in northern Italy, it means continued servicing demand on Euro 5 diesel vans and light trucks instead of a customer base evaporating into a compliance deadline.
Italy's Council of Ministers approved a decree-law on 24 September blocking a looming circulation ban on Euro 5 diesel vehicles across the Po Valley basin, the country's most polluted and most contested air-quality zone. Transport minister Matteo Salvini called it "an important result that meets the concrete needs of families, workers and the productive system," saying a blanket ban would have hit mobility and the local economy hard. He also took a swing at the underlying EU rule, calling it "not green, rather black." The decree extends the postponement for at least a year, covering an estimated 4 million Euro 5 diesels nationwide that faced potential grounding.
Source: ANSA · 24 September 2026