EU Urges Cooperation to Speed Up Vehicle Emissions Test Reforms Amid Volkswagen Scandal

The European Commission has urged member states to work together to accelerate reforms to vehicle emissions tests, following the revelation of Volkswagen's scheme to deceive environmental regulators. The EU executive arm reiterated its previous warning about the risk of fraud in emissions tests, which was highlighted in a 2013 report by its Joint Research Centre. The centre warned that companies' use of "defeat devices" could skew results, leading to inadequate emissions controls during normal driving conditions. Although the EU has banned defeat devices since 2007, the Commission acknowledged the need to improve the regulatory framework and proposed modifying the testing process, which now needs to be finalized and implemented quickly.

Key Takeaways:

• The European Commission has called on member states to cooperate in speeding up reforms to vehicle emissions tests in the wake of the Volkswagen scandal.
• A 2013 report by the EU's Joint Research Centre warned about the risk of fraud in emissions tests, highlighting the use of "defeat devices" that can skew results.
• The use of defeat devices can deactivate emissions controls during normal driving conditions, improving a diesel-fueled car's performance but compromising emissions standards.
• The EU has banned defeat devices since 2007, with member states responsible for applying European norms, including the ban.
• The Commission has proposed modifying the way emissions tests are conducted to improve the regulatory framework.
• Volkswagen has acknowledged that 11 million vehicles worldwide were fitted with emissions test-rigging software.
• U.S. regulators have ordered Volkswagen to recall nearly 500,000 diesel-powered vehicles and modify their emission systems.

Statistics:

• 11 million: number of vehicles worldwide fitted with emissions test-rigging software by Volkswagen.
• 500,000: number of diesel-powered vehicles to be recalled by Volkswagen in the U.S. due to emissions test failure.
• 2013: year that the EU's Joint Research Centre warned about the risk of fraud in emissions tests in a report.
• 2007: year that the EU banned defeat devices in vehicle emissions testing.
• 2015: year that the Volkswagen scandal came to light, leading to EU calls for reform.

Sources:

• EFE via COMTEX, "EU Urges Cooperation to Speed Up Vehicle Emissions Test Reforms Amid Volkswagen Scandal", Brussels, Sep 26, 2015
• European Commission, " European Joint Research Centre Report, 2013 "
• Volkswagen, " Statement on Emissions Scandal ", 2015.