Recent developments on the Dieselgate scandal

6.3.2019

Question for oral answer O-000021/2019
to the Commission
Rule 128
Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy
on behalf of the ALDE Group
Eleonora Evi
on behalf of the EFDD Group
Kathleen Van Brempt, Seb Dance
on behalf of the S&D Group
Merja Kyllönen
on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group
Bas Eickhout
on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group

In a press statement issued on 16 October 2018 on the work programme of the European Court of Auditors (ECA) for 2019, the President of the ECA, Klaus-Heiner Lehne, announced that the ECA would examine the EU’s approach to measuring vehicles’ emissions in order ‘to establish whether the EU is delivering what it has promised’. In the light of the concerns expressed in the ECA briefing paper of 7 February 2019, what measures will the Commission take:

a. To withdraw from the market the ‘large number of highly polluting cars’?

b. To understand and tackle the limited impact on NOx emissions that the ongoing vehicle recalls have had, also considering the limited effect of the software updates initiated?

c. To monitor the set-up and implementation of the surveillance checks by the Member States?

d. To prevent car manufacturers from finding new flexibilities in the WLTP laboratory test as a means to lower their CO2 emissions?

e. To ensure that manufacturers do not optimise vehicles for the RDE test? Will the Commission test cars in circulation beyond RDE parameters using its own facilities, as suggested in the ECA paper?

In the light of the ECA briefing paper, why did the Commission decide to appeal the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in cases T-339/16, T-352/16 and T-391/16? Will this decision push back the deadline established by the CJEU before which the testing leeway can remain in place?

Following the Recommendation of the European Ombudsman in case 1275/2018/EWM, will the Commission grant significantly increased access to the minutes of meetings of technical committees in general and to its Technical Committee on Motor Vehicles in particular?

Finally, more than two years after the Commission decided to open infringement proceedings, they have still not progressed beyond the very first stage. When will it conclude its initial work and issue a reasoned opinion?

Tabled: 6.3.2019

Forwarded: 8.3.2019

Deadline for reply: 15.3.2019