EU starts legal action against 4 states over VW emissions

A number of member states found that such stealth software is being used by others, but they believe the use is covered under an exemption because the equipment is aimed at protecting the vehicle’s motor. However, the Commission said it needs that data to verify if this is the case.

The European Commission, which supervises the application of EU laws, has given the countries two months to respond to its allegations.

German automaker Volkswagen has been trying to cut costs to recover from the fallout of the scandal.

The company has agreed to pay $15 billion under a settlement with U.S. authorities and owners of some 500,000 vehicles with software that turned off emissions controls.

In Berlin, the Transport Ministry said that Germany had “implemented a comprehensive catalogue of immediate measures aimed at preventing illegal defeat devices.”

It said that it had taken measures against Volkswagen in line with the legal principle of proportionality to ensure illegal devices were fixed and had made the company refit millions of cars at its own expense. Its response, it said, was “the productive solution for the benefit of customers.”

The Commission said it is also taking action against Britain, the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, Luxembourg and Spain for failing to set up a penalties system to deter auto makers from violating emissions laws or for not imposing sanctions when the law has been broken. The penalties are part of the EU’s vehicle type approval rules.

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Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.

The Associated Press

by Canadian Press

EU starts legal action against 4 states over VW emissions

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