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Dieselgate: One in four cars still on our roads two years on; member states must act

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Transport

In its answer to a parliamentary question from S&D Group vice-president responsible for sustainable development, Kathleen Van Brempt, the European Commission has confirmed that two years after the dieselgate scandal erupted, still more than one in four cars on European roads have not been fixed.

Kathleen Van Brempt who also chaired the European Parliament’s inquiry committee on the dieselgate, stated:

”Two years after the dieselgate scandal, there are still too many cars on the roads that do not respect the technical rules on car emissions and therefore, represent a threat to the health of our citizens. The Commission and member states must take this problem much more seriously.”

“We cannot count on Volkswagen's ethical behaviour, now that it is clear that the group not only tested the impact of emissions on monkeys in the lab, but on humans as well. Member states must realise that in the real world, citizens are also exposed to emission levels which are just illegal.

“In theory, all cars of the Volkswagen group that had been tampered with had to be recalled and repaired in the autumn of 2017. The Commission now recognises that Volkswagen has not fulfilled its commitments and that more than 25% of the cars incorporating the tampered software still do not meet the necessary requirements.

“However, in a letter dated 17 July, the competent Commissioner, Elżbieta Bieńkowska, had written to all transport ministers of the member states that she expected 100% of affected Volkswagen vehicles to be have been recalled in 2017.

"In July, Bieńkowska also called on the member states' ministers to make the recall obligatory if their country had not reached 100% in 2017.

"We cannot continue to postpone the deadlines. In the letter of 17 July, Commissioner Bieńkowska even wrote to the transport ministers that cars that are not in order with the type approval in 2018 must be taken out of circulation as part of the technical inspection. It is therefore high time for the competent ministers and the national type approval authority to act decisively."