Four Italian regions to introduce ban on old diesel cars from October
The northern Italian regions of Veneto, Lombardy, Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna are set to introduce stringent restrictions on the circulation of older diesel cars starting on Wednesday, October 1st, according to a report from Il Corriere della Sera.
Under the crackdown, diesel vehicles falling into the Euro 5 emission class will be banned from circulating in all municipalities with over 30,000 residents between 8.30am and 6.30pm during the working week (Monday to Friday).
The ban won't apply to weekends and will remain in place until April 15th, 2026, the report said.
According to La Repubblica, motorists flouting the ban on Euro 5 vehicles could face fines of up to €679 if caught.
First announced in September 2023, the restrictions are set to affect over 1.3 million Euro 5 vehicles across the four northern regions, according to Il Corriere della Sera.
The clampdown is part of measures aimed at reducing air pollution in the Po Valley after the European Union hit Rome with multiple infringement procedures in connection with repeated failures to meet the bloc's air quality standards.
The Po Valley, which includes the major cities of Milan, Turin, Bologna and Venice, has long been ranked among the areas with the worst air quality across the entire European continent.
Of 25 Italian cities found to have exceeded the legal threshold for coarse particulate matter, or PM10, in 2024, 21 were located in the Po Valley, according to a report from environmental watchdog Legambiente.
The planned rollout of the regional restrictions on Euro 5 cars has been met with anger by Italian Transport Minister Matteo Salvini.
'It's absolutely unacceptable that Euro 5 cars will no longer be allowed to circulate,' he said on Tuesday.
'This is part of the foolish European measures coming from von der Leyen's Commission, which approved that economic and industrial nonsense called the Green Deal,' Salvini added.
The League party leader also said he was working on an urgent law amendment aimed at preventing the ban from coming into force in October.
The government must 'prevent millions of Italians from having to leave their Euro 5 cars in the garage,' he stressed.
As of Wednesday afternoon, there were no further details as to when the above-mentioned amendment may be submitted to parliament and whether it would seek to repeal or simply delay the enforcement of the restrictions.
Euro 5 is a Europe-wide emission standard introduced in 2011 to limit the emission of harmful pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and particulate matter from vehicles. It was replaced by the more stringent Euro 6 standard in 2015.
Motorists in Italy can verify the emission class of their vehicles by entering the relevant licence plate number on the following Transport Ministry web page or by checking their vehicle registration documents (under section 3).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Local Italy
2 days ago
- Local Italy
What you can and cannot do as a non-resident in Italy
Foreigners in Italy are considered Italian residents for tax purposes if they spend at least 183 days out of the year in the country. Anyone not in this position is considered a visitor – and if you just enjoy coming to Italy on short visits, you'll probably want to keep things as they are. But if you own property in Italy and spend a significant amount of time here, you may be wondering whether it's worth taking the plunge and becoming a resident (for non-EU nationals, this will involve making a successful visa application). To help with your decision, here's a breakdown of the major things that you can and can't do as a non-resident foreigner in Italy. What can a non-resident in Italy do? Get a codice fiscale A codice fiscale is a 16-character personal identification code similar to a Social Security Number in the US or National Insurance Number in the UK. It's essential not only for completing bureaucratic tasks like paying taxes and registering for public healthcare, but also for things like buying and selling property in Italy or claiming an inheritance. Fortunately, it's relatively easy to get hold of, and shouldn't cost you anything. As a non-resident, you can apply through your nearest Italian embassy or consulate (some allow you to apply online). Alternatively, you can delegate an Italian resident to apply on your behalf by going in person to a Revenue Agency office. Buy property Non-EU foreign citizens are allowed to purchase property in Italy provided their country offers the same rights to Italian citizens; this applies regardless of residency status. This system is based on reciprocity, with Italy mirroring restrictions imposed by other countries. Canadians, for example, may run into more issues than people of other nationalities when buying property in Italy due to Canada's 'Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act'. Citizens of EU or European Economic Area countries have the same rights as Italian citizens when it comes to buying Italian property, regardless of their residency status. Bear in mind that owning property in Italy does not give you the right to stay in the country long term. Rent property Non-EU citizens from countries that come under the Schengen Zone's '90 day rule' can theoretically rent property in Italy for up to 90 days at a time. In practice, however, you'll struggle to persuade a landlord to sign a rental agreement if you can't produce evidence of your right to stay in the country beyond this period, such as a work permit or student visa. EU nationals can enter into the same rental contracts as Italian citizens without specific restrictions or the need to be an Italian resident, though landlords are likely to want to see proof of income. Apartment buildings in Prati neighbourhood in Rome. Securing a rental contract may be more difficult if you are not yet an Italian resident. Photo by Marie-Laure MESSANA / AFP Open a bank account It's possible to open a bank account in Italy as a non-resident, though you'll face a number of restrictions that residents don't have to deal with. Any foreigner aged 18 or over can open a bank account in Italy, but the full range of account types, from regular bank accounts (conti correnti) to savings and deposit accounts, is generally only available to legal residents. Non-Italian residents can only open international accounts (known as conti internazionali or conti correnti per residenti stranieri), which often come with a number of limitations regarding the banking services and operations that holders have access to. Take out a mortgage Again, there are no rules against non-residents taking out a mortgage in Italy, though getting a mortgage from an Italian bank is likely to be a complicated affair. Italian banks do not advertise non-resident mortgage products: you'll almost certainly require the services of a specialist mortgage broker in order to access this information, as well as to apply. As non-EU nationals without permanent residency are considered a greater risk by lenders, there are also more paperwork requirements and checks in place throughout the process than for residents. Pay taxes For those who own property or generate income in Italy, this is a legal requirement, even if you're not an Italian tax resident. Any money generated in Italy, such as rental income from a holiday home, must be reported to Italy's Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate). Even if you don't make any money in Italy, as a property-owning non-resident you'll still have to pay the IMU property tax (Imposta Municipale Unica), which is owed by all owners of second homes in Italy, and the TARI waste disposal tax. What can't a non-resident do? Stay for more than 90 days at a time as a non-EU citizen Non-EU citizens without Italian residency can't stay in the country for longer than 90 days at a time (this could be less, depending on your nationality and visitor visa conditions). If you come to Italy on a long-term visa, you are required to register as a resident. EU citizens can stay as long as they want, but are required to register as a resident after three months. Have the right to work if you're from outside the EU Being a non-resident and owning Italian property doesn't give you any working rights in Italy if you're from a non-EU country. According to Italian law firm Mazzeschi Legal Counsels, people in this position can legally perform a very small amount of remote work during a short stay in Italy – but it would have to be a 'marginal' amount accounting for 'less than 5% of the worker's regular working time and/or less than 5% of his/her overall remuneration.' If you're from the EU or the EEA, you have freedom of movement and aren't subject to these rules. You can also apply for and be offered a job in Italy, but you'll then after three months. Register with the national health service As a non-resident foreigner in Italy, you won't be able to register with the country's national health service (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale, or SSN). As a non-EU visitor, you'll have access to emergency or urgent healthcare treatment in Italy, though any service you use will come at a cost. If you're from an EU country you can apply for the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which covers the costs of medically necessary, state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in Italy. If you're from the UK, you can apply for a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), which also allows you emergency healthcare here. In either case, this doesn't replace a full insurance policy, and travellers with either the EHIC or GHIC are advised to take out comprehensive travel health insurance as well. Buy a car If you don't have residency in Italy – even if you own property in Italy or have business interests in the country – you are not legally allowed to buy a car. According to the Italian highway code, you need to have registered your residency with an Italian municipality to be able to buy a new or used vehicle in Italy. While you might find a friendly neighbour willing to sell you their old motor regardless, you would need to register the change of ownership with the Motor Vehicles Office (Ufficio Motorizzazione Civile) and the Public Vehicle Registry (Pubblico Registro Automobilistico or PRA), which requires a residence permit or, for EU citizens, a residency certificate. Vote This one may seem obvious, but non-resident foreigners have no voting rights in Italy. By contrast, EU citizens who are resident in Italy can vote in both local and European parliamentary elections (though not national or regional ones, which are reserved for Italian citizens).
Local Italy
2 days ago
- Local Italy
Italian chemical plant executives convicted in 'historic' water pollution trial
Eleven executives from companies including Japan's Mitsubishi and Luxembourg-based International Chemical Investors (ICIG) were convicted for contaminating nearly 200 square kilometres of drinking water and soil through the Miteni plant, near the city of Vicenza, Veneto. The court sentenced them to prison terms ranging from two years and eight months to 17 years. Four other defendants were acquitted. PFAS – or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – are a group of more than 10,000 human-made chemicals that repel heat, water, oil, and stains. PFAS have been used since the late 1940s to mass produce the nonstick, waterproof and stain-resistant materials that coat everything from frying pans and umbrellas to carpets and dental floss. But chronic exposure to even low levels of the chemicals has been linked to liver damage, high cholesterol, reduced immune responses, low birthweight and several types of cancer. PFAS' carbon-fluorine bonds take millennia to break down in the environment. The now-shuttered Miteni plant produced PFAS from 1968 until its closure due to bankruptcy in 2018. It leaked chemical waste into a waterway, polluting a vast area between Vicenza, Verona and Padova, according to prosecutors. The trial opened in 2021. Prosecutors had requested cumulative jail terms of 121 years. The court's sentence was even tougher, with a total of over 141 years. Hundreds of civil plaintiffs joined the trial, including environmental group Greenpeace and local mothers who united after discovering their families had the chemicals in their blood. Greenpeace Italy representative Chiara Campione called the ruling "historic" in a statement. The individuals and companies involved were sentenced to pay more than €6.5 million in damages to the Veneto region – a ruling welcomed by the president Luca Zaia. They will also have to pay €58 million in damages to the Italian environment ministry, according to media reports. In May, a court ruled that the death of a former plant worker who died of cancer in 2014 had been caused by prolonged exposure to PFAS. By AFP's Ella Ide.
Local Italy
3 days ago
- Local Italy
What are your responsibilities as a foreign resident in Italy?
Becoming a resident of Italy has certain advantages - especially for non-EU citizens, who are otherwise subject to strict limits on how long they can spend in the country. But it also carries with it some important responsibilities that you'll need to keep on top of if you want to stay out of trouble. Pay taxes We'll start with the big one. If you live in Italy for more than 183 days a year, you will most likely have to pay taxes here. Even if you earn your money from abroad or work for a foreign employer, you will have to file an annual tax declaration in Italy, which involves declaring all of your worldwide income. If you're an employee for an Italian company, income taxes will automatically be taken out of your salary, but you must still file a yearly tax return. In this, you'll have to declare any extra worldwide income from savings and investments, renting out your property, capital gains, or extra projects you've worked on. Italy has dual taxation agreements with most countries, including the UK and the US, meaning that if you have already paid tax on your income in another country, you won't be taxed on it again – but you'll still have to tell the Italian taxman about it. Renew your residency If you're from a non-EU country, you'll have to renew your residency before it expires to legally continue living in Italy. Most residency permits will only give you the right to one or two years' residency at a time, so you'll have to apply to renew your permesso and prove that you still meet the conditions to live in the country. To renew your permit, you will most likely need to fill out a form at the post office, then attend at least one appointment at the immigration office of your nearest police headquarters (Questura). In recent years, international residents have faced severe delays in renewing their permits, so it's a good idea to start the process as early as possible. Once you have lived in Italy for a total of five continuous years, you can apply for permanent (or long-term) residency – though you'll need to meet certain language and minimum income requirements. Receiving the status of permanent resident means you won't need to keep renewing your residency anymore and can stay indefinitely in the country. This status can be revoked, however, if you spend more than 12 consecutive months outside the EU, or stay outside Italy for more than six consecutive years. EU citizens must get a certificato di residenza (residency certificate) after three months of living in Italy, but do not have to keep renewing it. Maintain your healthcare coverage As a foreign resident in Italy, you'll need to ensure you have adequate healthcare coverage - either by taking out a private insurance policy or registering with the national health service (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale, or SSN). Some foreign residents iscrizione obbligatoria). But others - such as pensioners on ERVs, diplomatic staff of foreign governments and volunteer workers - can only access the SSN on an opt-in basis by paying a minimum annual fee of €2,000 (reduced rates are offered to students and au pairs). In both cases, your registration is generally valid for the same length of time as your residency permit, and you'll need to visit your local health authority to renew your tessera sanitaria (health card) when it expires. Find out more about registering with Italy's SSN here. If you want to drive in Italy as a foreigner, you'll only be able to use your non-EU driver's license (along with an international driving permit) for the first 12 months after officially becoming resident. After that, you'll need to get an Italian license to continue driving legally (EU licenses are exempted from this requirement). If your country has a reciprocal agreement in place with Italy, you'll be able to convert your foreign-issued license into an Italian one. But if it doesn't, you'll need to pass an Italian driving test, including a written theory test and a practical exam. There's no way to sit this exam in any language other than Italian, so you'll want to start brushing up on your language skills sooner rather than later. Some of the laws in Italy may be very different from what you might be used to in other countries, so it's important to learn what they are to avoid being fined or worse. Some actions that may seem innocent and harmless to you could in fact be illegal here, such as such as going wild camping or taking home sand from a beach in Sardinia. Laws also change from city to city. For example, in Venice you can't ride or even walk a bike through the historic centre, or walk around in swimwear.
