EU sues Germany and Britain over Volkswagen emissions scandal

The UK is among seven nations facing legal actions for failing to police emissions cheating by carmakers after the Volkswagen scandal

Zlata Rodionova
Thursday 08 December 2016 12:09 GMT
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EU sues Germany and Britain over Volkswagen emissions scandal

The European Commission has launched legal action against seven nations including Germany and the UK for failing to clamp down on the emissions cheating exposed by the “dieselgate scandal”.

The move reflects mounting frustration in Brussels over how governments have responded to the widening scandal, which began with revelations last year that German manufacturer Volkswagen had used illegal software to mask emission of dangerous nitrogen oxides (NOx) on tests.

Officials in Brussels said Germany, Britain, Spain and Luxembourg were accused of not imposing the same kind of penalties VW faced in the United States over its use of illegal software.

The European Commission has further called on Germany and the UK, claiming both refused to share details on breaches of EU emissions laws uncovered in national investigations this year.

ClientEarth clean air lawyer Alan Andrews said: “It is embarrassment after embarrassment for the UK Government on air pollution. It has lost two court cases in two years defending its inaction. It may now face a third.”

“By the Government’s own admission, pollution from diesel cars is one of the main reasons the UK is breaking legal air pollution limits, and the Government has been ordered repeatedly to tackle illegal levels of NO2 pollution ‘as soon as possible’. Yet the government has inexplicably failed to take action even where the car industry has knowingly put people’s health at risk for years. This kind of deception demands a strong response by authorities – and since the government failed to provide it, the EU is stepping in.”

Mr Andrews added: “Legal action like this is not a common occurrence. It shows the Commission thinks the UK has been far too timid in taking on the car industry over this scandal. The UK Government avoids taking the motoring industry to task at all costs – but the health of thousands of people is a heavy price to pay.

The other nations’ actions under the spotlight are the Czech Republic, Lithuania and Greece.

Germany argues EU rules in this area are poorly framed.

However, Brussels insisted that it is the nation's responsability to make sure carmakers comply with the law.

VW UK boss apologies

“Abiding by the law is first and foremost the duty of car manufacturers,” Elzbieta Bienkowska, EU Internal Market Commissioner, said in a statement Thursday.

“But national authorities across the EU must ensure that car manufacturers actually comply with the law,” she added.

The VW emissions scandal led Germany to order an EU-wide recall of 8.5 million Volkswagen vehicles.

Since the VW revelations, it has emerged that other manufacturers, which include Daimler's Mercedes-Benz and General Motor's Opel and Fiat, have also used sophisticated, software-based techniques so their cars pass official tests despite emitting far higher levels of NOx on the road.

Thursday’s notice is the first step in what is known as infringement procedures, allowing the EU to ensure the bloc's 28 nations abide by agreed EU-wide regulations.

The governments have two months to answer the commission.

Additional reporting by Reuters

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