Lucrezia Ciotti Starting October 1, 2026, the bans on Euro 5 diesel vehicles in Northern Italy will once again be in the spotlight . Lombardy, Piedmont, Veneto, and Emilia-Romagna have chosen different strategies, including bans, suspensions, and alternative measures. Here's where cars are at risk of being stopped and what changes this will have for drivers.
Euro 5 diesel, the rules change from October 1st: where the restrictions apply.
As October 1, 2026, approaches, the structural ban on Euro 5 diesel vehicles, already postponed by a year by the Infrastructure Decree, is once again in the spotlight. The new development is that Lombardy, Piedmont, Veneto, and Emilia-Romagna are following different paths , with the risk that the same vehicle could circulate in one region and be subject to restrictions in a neighboring one.
The measure primarily concerns diesel cars registered between 2011 and August 2015 and initially affects towns with over 100 inhabitants : the Government has in fact raised the threshold initially set at 30, while still leaving Regions and Municipalities the option to introduce more extensive restrictions and to establish their times and periods.
In Lombardy, the calendar foresees a ban on cars from October 1, 2026, with a subsequent extension to vans and light commercial vehicles in 2027 and to other categories in 2028.
In Milan, Bergamo, Brescia, and Monza, the ban will be in effect Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 19:30 p.m., with no seasonal suspensions. The MoVe-In option remains, which uses a satellite black box to replace hourly restrictions with an annual mileage limit in the affected areas. In Emilia-Romagna , however, the Region is seeking compensatory measures to avoid the ban: if alternatives are not available by September, starting October 1st, the restrictions would affect approximately 250 diesel vehicles in Bologna, Modena, Reggio Emilia, Parma, Ravenna, Rimini, Forlì, and Piacenza , from Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 18:30 p.m., until March 2027, according to a seasonal pattern destined to repeat itself.
Euro 5 diesel: Veneto and Piedmont focus on alternatives: the effects on the used car market
Veneto has begun the process to suspend the ban, but the decision must be approved by the Regional Council. The goal is to avoid burdening families with the cost of replacing their cars , focusing on measures capable of guaranteeing equivalent environmental benefits. Among the options being considered are the advance payment of incentives for converting Euro 5 diesel vehicles to dual-fuel vehicles, which can also run on methane, and remote working for public employees on days with increased smog alerts. Piedmont , however, has already approved an alternative plan as part of the updated Air Quality Plan: approximately €14 million is earmarked to promote the use of HVO biofuels on public transport and on Euro 5 and Euro 6 diesel vehicles, with annual contributions of between €50 and €100 per vehicle through dedicated fuel cards; another €14,4 million will be used to reduce emissions from heating systems.
According to regional simulations, these measures would produce an emissions reduction equivalent to a total ban , avoiding the idleness of approximately 307 Euro 5 diesel cars. Regional differences could also have consequences for the used car market: the more than 3,5 million Euro 5 diesel vehicles affected in the four regions, combined with the more than 10 million vehicles with lower or similar standards nationwide, fuel fears of a decline in demand and prices. Some analyses indicate that approximately one in seven cars on sale is a diesel potentially affected by the bans, while Euro 6 vehicles, mandatory for new registrations since September 2015, would experience the opposite trend.
It's therefore important for owners to check their local authority's regulations before making decisions, evaluating possible alternatives such as scrapping, purchasing a Euro 6, petrol or hybrid vehicle, long-term rental, and comparing financing options.