Exclusion criteria: <br>Patients randomised into the trial must not present any of the following conditions:<br><br>1. History or current diagnosis of asthma, allergic rhinitis or atopy. <br><br>2. Eosinophil count = 600 cells/mm3.<br><br>3. A respiratory tract infection (including the upper respiratory tract) or COPD exacerbation in the six weeks prior to the screening visit. Patients who develop a respiratory tract infection or exacerbation during the screening period will be discontinued from the trial prior to randomisation.<br><br>4. Patients who have been hospitalised for an acute COPD exacerbation in the 3 months prior to screening visit.<br><br>5. Use of long-term oxygen therapy (= 15 hours/day).<br><br>6. Clinically significant respiratory conditions defined as:<br>· Known active tuberculosis.<br>· History of interstitial lung or pulmonary thromboembolic disease.<br>· Pulmonary resection during the past 12 months.<br>· History of life-threatening COPD.<br>· History of any bronchiectasis secondary to respiratory diseases others than COPD (e.g., cystic fibrosis, Kartagener’s syndrome, etc).<br>· Patients who in the investigator’s opinion may need pulmonary rehabilitation or a thoracotomy during the trial. Patients on a stable pulmonary rehabilitation program prior to entry and anticipated to be stable throughout the study can be enrolled.<br>· Lung cancer<br><br>7. Clinically significant cardiovascular conditions defined as:<br>·Myocardial infarction during the last 6 months.<br>·Unstable arrhythmia which has required changes in the pharmacological therapy or other intervention during the last 12 months, or newly diagnosed arrhythmia within the previous 3 months.<br>· Hospitalisation within the previous 12 months for heart failure functional classes III (marked limitation of activity and only comfortable at rest) and IV (need of complete rest, confinement to bed or chair, discomfort at any physical activity and presence of symptoms at rest) as per the New York Heart Association. <br><br>8. Patients for whom the use of anticholinergic drugs is contraindicated: those with a known symptomatic prostatic hypertrophy, bladder neck obstruction or narrow-angle glaucoma.<br><br>9. Patients with any other serious or uncontrolled physical or mental dysfunction which at the discretion of the investigator could place the patient at higher risk derived from his/her participation in the study, could confound the results of the trial, or is likely to prevent the patient from complying with the requirements of the trial or completing the trial period. <br><br>10. QTc [calculated according to Bazett’s formula (QTc=QT/RR1/2) above 470 milliseconds in any of the ECGs performed at screening visit or at visit 1 (Day -1).<br><br>11. Patients who can not perform repeatable spirometry attempts at the screening visit.<br><br>12. History of untoward reactions to inhaled anticholinergics, sympathomimetic amines or inhaled medication or any component thereof (including report of paradoxical bronchospasm).<br><br>13. Patients unable to properly use a dry powder or pMDI inhaler device or unable to perform acceptable spirometry.<br><br>14. Clinically relevant abnormalities laboratory, ECG parameters (other than QTc), or physical examination results at the screening evaluation that in the investigator’s opinion, preclude study participation.<br><br>15. Patients who intend to use any concomitant medication not permitted by this protocol or who have not undergone the required washout period for a particular prohibited medication (see section 10.3.2).<br><br>16. Patients with a history of drug and/or alcohol ab;Exclusion criteria: <br>Patients randomised into the trial must not present any of the following conditions:<br><br>1. History or current diagnosis of asthma, allergic rhinitis or atopy. <br><br>2. Eosinophil count = 600 cells/mm3.<br><br>3. A respiratory tract infection (including the upper respiratory tract) or COPD exacerbation in the six weeks prior to the screening visit. Patients who develop a respiratory tract infection or exacerbation during the screening period will be discontinued from the trial prior to randomisation.<br><br>4. Patients who have been hospitalised for an acute COPD exacerbation in the 3 months prior to screening visit.<br><br>5. Use of long-term oxygen therapy (= 15 hours/day).<br><br>6. Clinically significant respiratory conditions defined as:<br>· Known active tuberculosis.<br>· History of interstitial lung or pulmonary thromboembolic disease.<br>· Pulmonary resection during the past 12 months.<br>· History of life-threatening COPD.<br>· History of any bronchiectasis secondary to respiratory diseases others than COPD (e.g., cystic fibrosis, Kartagener’s syndrome, etc).<br>· Patients who in the investigator’s opinion may need pulmonary rehabilitation or a thoracotomy during the trial. Patients on a stable pulmonary rehabilitation program prior to entry and anticipated to be stable throughout the study can be enrolled.<br>· Lung cancer<br><br>7. Clinically significant cardiovascular conditions defined as:<br>·Myocardial infarction during the last 6 months.<br>·Unstable arrhythmia which has required changes in the pharmacological therapy or other intervention during the last 12 months, or newly diagnosed arrhythmia within the previous 3 months.<br>· Hospitalisation within the previous 12 months for heart failure functional classes III (marked limitation of activity and only comfortable at rest) and IV (need of complete rest, confinement to bed or chair, discomfort at any physical activity and presence of symptoms at rest) as per the New York Heart Association. <br><br>8. Patients for whom the use of anticholinergic drugs is contraindicated: those with a known symptomatic prostatic hypertrophy, bladder neck obstruction or narrow-angle glaucoma.<br><br>9. Patients with any other serious or uncontrolled physical or mental dysfunction which at the discretion of the investigator could place the patient at higher risk derived from his/her participation in the study, could confound the results of the trial, or is likely to prevent the patient from complying with the requirements of the trial or completing the trial period. <br><br>10. QTc [calculated according to Bazett’s formula (QTc=QT/RR1/2) above 470 milliseconds in any of the ECGs performed at screening visit or at visit 1 (Day -1).<br><br>11. Patients who can not perform repeatable spirometry attempts at the screening visit.<br><br>12. History of untoward reactions to inhaled anticholinergics, sympathomimetic amines or inhaled medication or any component thereof (including report of paradoxical bronchospasm).<br><br>13. Patients unable to properly use a dry powder or pMDI inhaler device or unable to perform acceptable spirometry.<br><br>14. Clinically relevant abnormalities laboratory, ECG parameters (other than QTc), or physical examination results at the screening evaluation that in the investigator’s opinion, preclude study participation.<br><br>15. Patients who intend to use any concomitant medication not permitted by this protocol or who have not undergone the required washout period for a particular prohibited medication (see section 10.3.2).<br><br>16. Patients with a history of drug and/or alcohol ab