EU countries snub commission on emissions penalties
Member states are ignoring requests from the EU to explain how they punish manufacturers for installing cheating software into tractors.
Investigation
On-road emissions tests: How EU failed to change to the fast lane
One year ago, EU members agreed to an on-road test for car emissions, but with options to carmakers to exceed the limits. How did it all happen?
Investigation
Dieselgate: Looking under the hood
EUobserver will closely follow the hearings and research done by the EU parliament's inquiry committee, as well as investigate aspects of the diesel emissions scandal not covered by the committee's mandate.
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MEPs wary of emissions 'shopping' by car makers
MEP Dance says new data by EUobserver showed car manufacturers are “shopping around” when acquiring the required certification.
EU told of possible emission cheating in 2012
The Joint Research Centre said in 2012 that a diesel vehicle was emitting much more nitrogen oxide (NOx) when the outside temperature was different from the laboratory parameters.
Dieselgate isn't my fault, says German transport minister
Alexander Dobrindt tells MEPs he is not responsible for Volkswagen's emissions cheating, blaming the carmaker and EU legislation for leaving too much room for interpretation.
EU lawmakers need more time for car approval reform
Christofer Fjellner, one of the involved MEPs, said the original timing was "pretty tight" and defended the delay.
EU officials 'not informed' about emissions cheating
Former director-general and director at EU commission tell MEPs alarming emails from civil servants did not reach them.
Car industry dominates emissions rule-making body
Few national governments attend a working group empowered by the commission to develop emissions tests for road vehicles.
Oettinger left no trace of VW Dieselgate meeting
EU commissioner for the digital economy and society, Guenther Oettinger, met with German carmakers in January to discuss "diesel emissions", even though the topic is not in his portfolio.
Focus
Sweden checked on-road emissions long before Dieselgate
Unlike most EU member states, the Swedish Transport Agency took cars on the road for emissions testing. The difference? Swedish car buyers pay a €5 tax.
Left MEPs thwarting Dieselgate probe, say right MEPs
[Updated] Centre-left chairwoman of European Parliament's committee investigating the emissions scandal denied the claim, saying there was a misunderstanding.
Cars should be allowed to exceed emissions limits, say experts
Emissions experts in Berlin said they agreed with an EU commission proposal to allow 1.5 times exceedance of the limit for dangerous particle numbers.
Dieselgate MEPs ask colleagues to 'reject status quo'
Chairwoman of the inquiry committee, Kathleen Van Brempt, says that the car approval system needs to be reformed.
Dieselgate: German officials 'heard only rumours'
Witnesses in German parliamentary hearing say they lacked the evidence to prove emissions cheating, and that other ministries were susceptible to car industry lobbying.
Dieselgate MEPs let ex-commissioners off hook
The European Parliament's Dieselgate inquiry committee will not pursue Erkki Liikanen and Margot Wallstrom to testify, accepting that their mandates were too long ago.
Fiat questions 'fantastical' EU emissions tests
Italian-American car maker Fiat had "no explanations" for tests showing its cars polluted above EU limits when questioned by MEPs, described some tests as “fantastical”.
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EU states forsook oversight on car emissions
An EUobserver investigation and EU parliament testimony paint a gloomy picture of how EU national authorities neglected to implement clean air car laws.
EU science director: My reshuffle during Dieselgate was ill-timed
Giovanni De Santi, who was the director responsible for a new on-road test method, was moved to a different position in the EU's science body during the height of the Dieselgate crisis.
Nothing to hide on Dieselgate, says EU science body
A reshuffle of an emissions expert and a last-minute cancellation of an interview had no ulterior motives, says head of the Joint Research Centre.
MEPs reject 'status quo' on car certification
MEPs of all flags rounded on British Tory, Daniel Dalton, after he said member states should retain control of a broken car certification regime.
EU and US in talks on car emissions cheats
The EU and US have started talks on how to prevent emissions cheating by car companies such as Volkswagen, with a US regulator saying some engineering choices accepted in Europe "don't make sense".
VW website to inform European consumers about cheating
Volkswagen commits to an EU "action plan" announced last week, and promises to set up a single website to give details on cars fitted with software to cheat emissions tests.
VW: EU's action plan is 'nothing new'
Consumer affairs commissioner Jourova said Volkswagen has "committed to an EU-wide action plan", but the promise contains little news value according to the carmaker itself.
Diesel cars still dirty, despite huge EU loans
The European Investment Bank lent billions to carmakers, in part to clean up diesel cars. But diesel cars are still dirty, prompting questions if the money was well spent.
Interview
One of UK's last MEPs tries to shape car legislation
MEP Daniel Dalton is steering the reform of the rules on car certification through parliament. He hopes to scrap additional EU oversight.
Unpublished report: Italy's Fiat had high emissions
An Italian report triggered by the Volkswagen emissions cheating scandal finds Fiat cars emitting more than double the EU limit. The report was finished in July, but has not been made public.
EU states under pressure for laxity on car emissions
EU countries were supposed to place dissuasive penalties on the use of cheating software, but the commission is not yet convinced all of them did.
'Unfixing' VW cars: A new trend in emissions tampering?
A year after Dieselgate broke, millions of polluting cars are still on the road. Not everyone will adhere to the Volkswagen recall, and some who did want the cheating software back.
Analysis
The EU's 'never-informed' car industry commissioner
Former commissioner Tajani said he was never informed about EU members' lax implementation on cheating software rules. But the information was available.
Leaked memo: EU commissioner ignored car emissions warnings
A leaked EU memo from 2012 shows that officials warned the office of former industry chief Antonio Tajani on possible illegal car emissions discrepancies, but he did nothing to investigate.
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