Italy delays regional ban on old diesel vehicles

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's cabinet on Thursday postponed a ban on older diesel cars in the heavily-polluted north.

A ban on so-called Euro 5 standard vehicles was set to come into force on October 1 to meet European Union commitments on cutting pollution.

But Transport Minister Matteo Salvini said the cabinet had agree to postpone the ban for "at least a year" in the Po Valley regions, from Lombardy to Piedmont, Veneto and Emilia-Romagna.

"After all, at a time of economic hardship for so many businesses, artisans, and families, telling them to stay home in the name of being 'green' would not have been the right solution," he said.

"I believe that if four million Italians are still driving Euro 5 diesels in 2026, it isn't because it's trendy; it is likely because they lack the financial means to replace the vehicle that enables them to earn their living," he added.

The European Court of Justice ruled in 2020 that Italy had "persistently and systematically" breached EU rules on small-particle air pollution.

Since then, Meloni's nationalist government has led the revolt against EU plans to tighten emissions limits, vowing to defend the automotive industry in a country still attached to the combustion engine.