PRESS STATEMENT - 28.02.2017

The European Parliament’s investigative committee into the Dieselgate emissions scandal adopted its conclusions today. It blames Member States for failures in testing cars both before and after they go on the road. It also criticises the European Commission for not following up on indications that illegal testing practices occurred.

Monique Goyens, Director General of The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC), said:

“Members of the EU Parliament’s investigative committee have rightly highlighted the wrongdoings of the car sector and the failure of Member States to properly test and check the cars on their roads.

“EU parliamentarians have echoed our repeated calls for a stricter approval and surveillance system to prevent another Dieselgate from happening. Significantly they supported the creation of an independent EU car approval agency. Now, strong political will is needed to make those good intentions translate into action.

Nevertheless, on the committee’s conclusions concerning the real victims of the Dieselgate scandal, EU consumers, Monique Goyens commented:

“We are disappointed that the report fails to appropriately address the consumer angle on Dieselgate. Today, millions of affected car owners in Europe have not been compensated for the fraud that was committed by VW. MEPs had a chance to highlight this and to call for a fairer treatment of consumers but instead delivered a watered-down compromise.”