European officials sent a letter to Volkswagen calling on the German automaker to meet its obligations regarding an emissions scandal. File photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI |
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Sept. 7 (UPI) -- The European Commission said it was insisting the automotive group Volkswagen meet its obligations to consumers regarding an emissions-cheating scandal.
Consumer authorities from the European Union and the European Commission sent a letter to Volkswagen calling on the company to "swiftly" repair the vehicles associated with an emissions scandal. Volkswagen last year agreed to repair all the vehicles impacted by the issue by autumn 2017 and EU commissioners said the group has one month to confirm its upholding its commitments.
"When there are pan-European problems like this, only by acting together can consumer authorities ensure that EU consumer law is respected everywhere in the union," Vera Jourova, a commissioner in charge of consumer issues, said in a statement. "With today's joint position, EU consumers can be sure that both consumer authorities in member states and the European Commission are on their side and that any half measures will not be accepted."
Volkswagen had no public comment on the European demands. The German automotive group has addressed many of the U.S. issues tied to an admission of cheating emissions tests in 2015, but has so far fallen well short of its expectations in the European market.
The joint action by European authorities still leaves much of the formal action in the hands of member states.
In a sales update, the automotive company said total vehicles deliveries in North America for the first seven months of the year were up 48.7 percent from the same period last year. Western European deliveries were up 4.3 percent and Eastern European deliveries improved by 17.6 percent from the same seven-month period in 2016.
Last month, the European Commission invited member states to examine emission issues after Volkswagen in 2015 was found to have used software to get around some pollution standards. In response, the commission introduced stricter and more accurate tests for nitrogen oxides and particulate emissions, many of which are responsible for smog and acid rain.
The transportation sector accounts for more than half of the energy-related emissions of carbon dioxide, a potent greenhouse gas.
