S&Ds score victory on new rules to prevent another Dieselgate scandal
Date
Sections
Brussels, 7 December 2017
This morning, negotiators from the European Parliament, Commission and Council reached a political agreement on the first new EU law to prevent emissions cheating in the future. In response to the Dieselgate scandal, which had revealed the serious failure of the current system, the Socialists and Democrats had taken the lead in tightening up the approval and surveillance of new cars to better protect consumers and the environment, and restore faith in the car industry.
Today’s deal includes strong EU oversight on both type-approval and market surveillance; an online exchange system on type-approval and market surveillance data to increase transparency, with data available also for third parties for independent compliance testing; minimum targets for rigorous market surveillance conducted by member states based on full compliance with all applicable emissions tests; stiff penalties for manufacturers and authorities who fail to comply, as well as provisions to ensure that following corrective measures such as recalls of vehicles, either the problem will have to be fixed for free or consumers who have already paid for the measures themselves will be compensated.
Christel Schaldemose, MEP and S&D negotiator on type-approval, said:
“After difficult negotiations and the member states initial resistance to accept our more ambitious proposals, we did in the end reach a good deal to prevent emissions cheating in the future. Drawing on the lessons of the Dieselgate scandal, we pushed for and obtained strong EU oversight in both type-approval of new cars and market surveillance. We insisted on the involvement of the Commission in the periodic audits of authorities granting type approvals to ensure that the new rules are applied in a fair, strict and uniform manner.
“From now on member states will have to comply with standards to ensure rigorous market surveillance and a high degree of transparency in the activities of their authorities. We even succeeded in introducing severe penalties for any car manufacturers who would cheat this new system and safeguards for citizens who might be economically affected by non-compliant vehicles. Consumer rights and the environment must be protected. Today’s deal will help to protect both, but we will also continue to fight for more horizontal consumer rights in cases where citizens have been misled.”
Nicola Danti, MEP and S&D spokesperson on internal market and consumer protection, added:
“Today’s deal on new rules on type-approval for cars and market surveillance is good news for consumers and the environment. We managed to put in place the controls and EU oversight that the current system is lacking and obtained safeguards to ensure that consumers will not be left to pay for corrective measures in case of any non-compliance in the future. As Socialists and Democrats we won’t accept another Dieselgate and we will continue to fight for the approval and implementation of the new rules agreed today in the interests of our citizens.”
MEPs INVOLVED
christel.schaldemose@ep.europa.eu
+32(0)2 28 45491
+33(0)3 88 1 75491
+32(0)2 28 45143
+33(0)3 88 1 75143
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