Dieselgate: EC begins legal action against UK and other EU nations

(The Guardian, 8 Dec 2016) Germany and Spain among those accused of failing to set up penalty systems to deter violations of emissions law.

The European commission has started legal action against the UK and six other EU states for failing to act against car emissions cheating in the wake of the “dieselgate” scandal.

VW was forced to recall nearly half a million cars from the US market last year after it was revealed that the company had used sophisticated “defeat devices” to game emissions tests. Other manufacturers have also used techniques to give lower emissions readings in lab tests than in real world driving.

Germany and Spain are among the nations accused of failing to set up penalty systems to deter such violations of emissions law and failing to punish offenders where crimes have been committed. The accused countries have two months to respond, after which the commission could send a “reasoned opinion” before ultimately filing a suit at the European court of justice in Luxembourg.

External link

The Guardian, 8 Dec 2016: Dieselgate: EC begins legal action against UK and other EU nations