Several cities reverse course on banning old diesel vehicles

The Italian government recently announced the postponement of the ban on old diesel vehicles in the north of the country. Initially planned for September 2023, this ban, which aimed to reduce air pollution, will now be implemented, theoretically, on 1^is October 2024. This decision was made in response to motorist protests and economic concerns.

The Piedmont region, including the city of Turin and more than 70 other cities in northern Italy, was to implement traffic restrictions for diesel vehicles that do not comply with the Euro 5 pollution standard during weekdays at from mid-September. However, the Italian Minister of Environment and Energy, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, announced that this measure would be deferredciting the need to avoid a “social and economic crisis for families and businesses”.

Italy stands firm against European regulations

The president of the Piedmont region, Alberto Cirio, expressed his satisfaction with the decision, while blaming the European Union for making it ” constrained “ to take unpopular measures. He stressed that the region would continue to focus on protecting the environment and health by removing 700 of the most polluting diesel buses.

The Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, in power since October 2022, pleaded in favor of the automobile industry and opposed measures aimed at limiting polluting emissions. Last May, Italy joined seven other European Union member states, including France and Poland, to oppose the future Euro 7 standard, which will come into force in 2025 and reduce emissions by 35%. nitrogen oxides (NOx) of vehicles compared to the previous Euro 6 standard.

A complicated balance to find

Manufacturers, already faced with the transition to electric mobility, are pleading in favor of a less restrictive standard for thermal engines, which should be gradually eliminated by 2035. This decision by the Italian government generally demonstrates the delicate balance between environmental protection, economic concerns and the interests of the automobile industry.

In France, the ZFE face the same problems, since some of them have already been postponed, while certain elected officials underline the social injustice of these measures, generally penalizing the poorest, those who cannot necessarily afford a more recent and less expensive car polluting.

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