Hearings

AUDI AG is a German company which produces cars under the Audi brand. AUDI AG is part of the Volkswagen Group and includes Automobili Lamborghini as a fully owned subsidiary. The company is headquartered in Ingolstadt, Germany, where a large proportion of production, technical development, sales and administration are based. The global network of Audi Group includes various production plants in Europe (Germany, Italy, Hungary, Belgium, Slovakia and Spain) as well as in other parts of the world. Altogether the Audi Group employs approximately 85.000 people and delivers annually about 2 million cars to its customers. Volkswagen AG holds around 99.55 per cent of the share capital of AUDI AG.

Slovak State Secretary Viktor Stromček is invited to give an account of how the European legislation on car emissions is implemented in Slovakia, including information on how the national type approval system works. In his capacity of representative of the country holding the Presidency of the EU, Mr Stromček is also expected to comment on the debate that has taken place on the subject of emissions measurement within the Transport Council and on expected steps ahead.

Italian Vice Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Riccardo Nencini is invited to give the EMIS Committee an insight into the way the EU legislation on vehicle emissions is implemented in Italy. He is also expected to answer Members' questions on the Italian investigation on emissions of vehicles, on Italy's position as regards the RDE packages, as well as on the disagreement between Italian and German type-approval authorities about the emission reduction system of Fiat vehicles.

EMIS Committee held one hearing with the JRC at the beginning of its mandate (19 April), when Ms Delilah Al-Khudhairy, Director and Mr Alois Krasenbrink, Head of the Sustainable Transport Unit were heard.
Subsequently, EMIS visited the JRC in Ispra on 18-19 July, when an in-depth discussion took place on the role of the JRC in the field of emissions tests, legislative preparation on RDE and future involvement under the new type-approval structure.
The committee will now hold a final exchange with Mr Vladimir Šucha, Director-General and Mr Giovanni De Santi, Director, JRC in light of the evidence gathered by the committee so far.

Currently a Member of the Danish Parliament, Ms Ida Auken will appear before the Committee in her capacity as former Danish Minister for the Environment between 2011-2014, which was a key period for the Real Driving Emissions (RDE) discussion. Ms Auken also held office during the Danish Presidency in 2012 and will provide the key insights into the discussion at the time.

Minister Ségolène Royal has been invited to give the EMIS Committee an insight into the way the EU legislation on vehicle emissions is implemented in France. She is also expected to answer Members' questions on the results of the national investigation conducted by the independent committee "affaire Volkswagen" (Commission Royal).

Mr Karl Falkenberg is invited to give EMIS Committee a clear insight into the process of preparation and implementation of European standards on air quality, in particular with regard to links between air pollution and emissions in the automotive sector in the European Union.

Mr Daniel Calleja y Crespo is invited in his capacity as former Director-General of DG Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs from 2012 to 2015 and current Director-General of DG Environment since September 2015 to present the EMIS Committee his experience and views with regard to the current legislation on vehicle emissions and their type approvals in the EU.

Minister Dobrindt is expected to give an account of how the European legislation on car emissions is implemented in Germany, including information on how the national type approval system works. Information is expected also on the results of the recent investigations launched in Germany after the VW scandal and how the emerged problems in the enforcement of car emissions and type-approval law could be avoided in the future.

Minister Lies is expected to explain the role of the state government in the VW group, to present the results of the investigations within VW after the emissions scandal broke out, to describe how Lower Saxony is fulfilling its role as market surveillance authority and to give an overview of impacts the emission scandal has had so far on the State’s economy and employment.

CA designs, engineers, manufactures, distributes and sells vehicles under the Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Fiat Professional, Jeep, Lancia, Ram brands as well as luxury cars under the Maserati brand. FCA also operates in the components sector, through Magneti Marelli and Teksid. In 1997, the company produced the first car in the world equipped with a diesel engine with Common Rail system, a technology which would have a big impact on the market for diesel-powered cars. FCA is also the leading producer of natural gas-powered vehicles in Europe.

FCA will be represented at the hearing by Mr Harald Wester, Chief Technical Officer. He will be accompanied by Mr Daniele Chiari, Head of EMEA Product Planning & Institutional Relations, and Mr Giorgio Fossati, General Counsel.

During the afternoon of 11 October, EMIS Committee will hear Mr Laurent Benoit, Chief Executive Officer and Ms Béatrice Lopez de Rodas, Director of UTAC CERAM Group, France.

UTAC CERAM is a French private, independent group providing services in all areas of land transport: regulation and approval, testing and technical expertise (environment, safety, durability and reliability), certification, events and driver training. In October 1991, UTAC was appointed as the Central Technical Body by the French Ministry of Transport. Mr Benoit and Ms Lopez de Rodas are expected to give an account of all type-approval related activities carried out by UTAC CERAM, its relationship to manufacturers and type-approval authorities as well as the vehicle emissions tests conducted on 52 models on behalf of the French Ministry for the Environment, Energy and the Sea in scope of the French national investigation into the issue of emissions measurements.

Mr André Rijnders, Senior Advisor of Vehicle Emissions and Fuels and Vehicle Standards Development of the Netherlands Vehicle Agency (RDW) will be heard as well.

The Netherlands vehicle authority RDW is a non-departmental public body that performs its tasks on behalf of the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment of the Netherlands. Being the Dutch type-approval authority, RDW tests and inspects new vehicles and their parts. RDW also makes knowledge available through consultation and support projects in other countries in the area of traffic safety, as well cooperates with other type approval agencies in the EU.

Mr Rijnders is invited to give an overview of the type-approval framework in the Netherlands and answer the questions on how the EU legislation has been implemented by the RDW, how does the RDW fulfils its dual role as a type approval agency and technical service and how its market surveillance activities are conducted.