Message 001
Communication from the Commission - TRIS/(2026) 1672
Directive (EU) 2015/1535
Notification: 2026/0314/IT
Notification of a draft text from a Member State
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Does not open the delays - N'ouvre pas de délai - Kein Fristbeginn - Не се предвижда период на прекъсване - Nezahajuje prodlení - Fristerne indledes ikke - Καμμία έναρξη προθεσμίας - No abre el plazo - Viivituste perioodi ei avata - Määräaika ei ala tästä - Ne otvara razdoblje kašnjenja - Nem nyitja meg a késéseket - Non fa decorrere la mora - Atidėjimai nepradedami - Atlikšanas laikposms nesākas - Ma jiftaħx il-perijodi ta’ dewmien - Geen termijnbegin - Nie otwiera opóźnień - Não inicia o prazo - Nu deschide perioadele de stagnare - Nezačína oneskorenia - Ne uvaja zamud - Inleder ingen frist - Ní osclaíonn sé na moilleanna
MSG: 20261672.EN
1. MSG 001 IND 2026 0314 IT EN 24-06-2026 IT NOTIF
2. Italy
3A. Ministero delle Imprese e del Made in Italy
Dipartimento Mercato e Tutela Direzione Generale Consumatori e Mercato
Divisione II. Normativa tecnica - Sicurezza e conformità dei prodotti, qualità prodotti e servizi 00187
Roma - Via Molise, 2
3B. Ministero dell’ambiente e della Sicurezza energetica –
Direzione Generale Programmi e Incentivi Finanziari
Via Cristoforo Colombo n. 44 - 00147 ROMA
4. 2026/0314/IT - I20 - Pressure equipment, gas appliances and boilers
5. Draft Regulation updating Decree No 186 of the Minister for the Environment and the Protection of Land and Sea of 7 November 2017, adopted pursuant to Article 290 (4) of Legislative Decree No 152 of 3 April 2006 – Regulation....
6. Heat generators using solid biomass fuels subject to environmental certification and complying with the UNI EN standards associated with each category and subsequent amendments to those standards:
a) closed chimneys,
b) open fireplaces;
c) stoves...
7.
8. The proposed update of Decree 186/2017 – Regulation governing the requirements, procedures and competences for the issue of certification of heat generators powered by solid biomass fuels aims to adapt the regulatory framework to the technological evolution of the sector, introducing new certification cases and updating the emission and energy performance classes applicable to boilers and stoves, without altering the substantive provisions of the existing regulation.
This regulation, comprising four articles and two annexes, is amended as set out below.
In Article 1, paragraph 3 is replaced in order to update the technical reference legislation also in relation to hybrid appliances.
In Article 3, paragraph 1 is expanded to provide for the revocation of the certification obtained in the event of failure to meet the requirements or any alteration to the generators compared with the characteristics they possessed during the test configuration. A new article is inserted (Article 3a – Equivalence of on-site manufactured products) to classify on-site manufactured storage stoves within the 5-star class, in accordance with standard UNI EN 15544, as they do not currently fall within the scope of Ministeria Decree No 186 of 7 November 2017.
Article 4(1) is extended by adding subparagraph (c), which provides for the reference to the ‘quick start guide’ for manual generators, a proven tool for training the user in how to use the generator.
In Annex 1, ‘Quality classes for the certification of heat generators’, the 5-star class has been revised by adjusting the CO (mg/Nm³) and ŋ (%) values, and a 6-star class has been introduced for both boilers and stoves – with the exception of open fireplaces – whilst a 7-star class has been introduced for boilers only.
In Annex 2, ‘Test Methods’, references shall be included to the new technical standards defining the methods for sampling, analysis and assessment of the emissions set out in Annex 1.
9. The overall aim is to prioritise the protection of air quality in one of the sectors with the greatest impact, namely domestic heating. The introduction of new emission classes for heat generators will, on the one hand, enable the Regions to incorporate stricter rules on the use of biomass heat generators into their air quality plans and, on the other hand, steer national and regional incentives towards technologies with an ever-lower environmental impact. In addition to leveraging the best technologies available today, the update of the Regulation, with the inclusion of new environmental classes, aims to provide a stimulus for the market introduction of ever more advanced technologies. Indeed, several years after the decree came into force, the regulatory, technological and environmental landscape has evolved, and the classification defined in 2017 has become established in the market. The technology sector has made significant progress in reducing emissions.
The draft decree does not entail any additional costs for those affected beyond those already set out in the previous legislative measure. The specific rules and criteria for the certification of domestic wood-burning biomass appliances remain unchanged; the decree merely adds new classes, the use of which remains voluntary and is not compulsory for either manufacturers or consumers.
In any case, it is expected to provide a stimulus for the development of ever more advanced technologies and at the same time the reduced use of generators with low environmental classes. This could lead to fewer emissions of pollutants with a benefit in terms of air quality for the community within a few years.
In terms of impact, every viable option has been carefully assessed from an economic, environmental and social perspective. The non-intervention option would have negative effects on each of these factors. Whilst the expansion of the certification categories does not entail any additional costs for manufacturers should they decide to apply for certification – given that no changes have been made to the testing procedures – failure to adopt the regulation risks undermining the comprehensive process initiated at national level to improve air quality.
This process has also been communicated and monitored by the European Commission.
From a social and environmental perspective, the initiative can only have positive effects because, by promoting the adoption of more efficient regional policies in the sector of domestic heating using wood biomass – the primary source of air pollution, accounting for over 50% of PM emissions – it will lead to an improvement in air quality and, consequently, higher standards of health protection. This is also in the light of the stricter limits imposed by the new European Directive, which will enter into force from 2030.
9a. The aim of the measure under consideration is to help improve air quality levels in order to resolve the infringement proceedings currently pending against Italy in this regard and, from a broader perspective, to ensure higher standards of environmental and health protection by encouraging the introduction onto the market of increasingly advanced domestic heating technologies.
The amendment to the regulation was drawn up with the aim of steering the replacement of obsolete installed heating systems – which account for the majority of primary particulate matter emissions – towards state-of-the-art systems, through the introduction of new, higher-performance environmental classes and stricter emission limits.
Taking action in the domestic wood-fired heating sector – the main source of air pollution, accounting for over 50% of PM emissions – will lead to an improvement in air quality and, consequently, higher standards of health protection.
9b. The regulatory measure does not impose any restrictions on the internal market or on cross-border trade. The regulation merely updates a system that has been in place for almost 10 years and which, on a voluntary basis, allows manufacturers of domestic heating technology using biomass combustion to certify their products by verifying their emission characteristics. The aim is to develop technologies that are increasingly environmentally efficient and to enable those responsible for assessing and managing air quality – through their air quality plans – to significantly accelerate the replacement of the existing stock of wood-fuelled biomass heaters used for domestic heating, which account for the majority of primary particulate matter emissions, with the latest-generation systems.
Reducing emissions from this sector not only ensures greater compliance with EU air quality regulations but also makes a significant contribution to protecting public health, given that domestic biomass combustion accounts for more than 50% of primary particulate matter emissions. In view of this significant contribution, the non-intervention option has been assessed negatively. Moreover, the regulation by maintaining the voluntary certification scheme does not have any restrictive or distortive effects on the market. Therefore, there are no alternatives with a lower environmental impact that have not been taken into account.
9c. Although the interest to be protected, namely human health, would have made it entirely justifiable to impose significant measures and constraints, the draft decree does not impose any restrictions nor does it create barriers to the market. The new categories that have been added do, in fact, make it possible to recognise products that perform best from an environmental perspective, but they do not alter the established procedures, whilst retaining the option of voluntary rather than compulsory certification
10. References to basic texts: 2016/0657/IT
The basic texts were forwarded with an earlier notification:
2016/0657/IT
11. No
12.
13. No
14. No
15. Yes
16.
TBT aspects: No
SPS aspects: No
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European Commission
Contact point Directive (EU) 2015/1535
email: grow-dir2015-1535-central@ec.europa.eu
