Monday

11th Dec 2023

Infographic

Eastern Europeans shy away from Volkswagen's diesel 'fix'

  • Volkswagen cars with software that allowed it to cheat on the official emissions test - not necessarily the one pictured - are being recalled (Photo: Volkswagen AG)

Volkswagen Group (VW) is much more succesful in convincing Dieselgate-affected consumers to have the illegal defeat device removed from their car in western Europe than in eastern Europe.

Consequently, there are still over two million VW diesel cars driving around in the EU whose software has not yet been updated.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

VW had promised the European Commission that it would give all 8.5 million affected cars the software update – although it is not entirely clear what that update entails – by autumn of 2017.

It was already known that VW had failed to fulfil its promise, but the commission has recently published update figures from most member states.

The update campaign was most successful in VW's home country, Germany, where 91 percent of consumers who owned a Dieselgate car have gone to the garage for the update.

However, success rates differ greatly among member states, with the most striking difference being an east-west divide.

Romania scores the worst, with only 30 percent done, followed by Poland (37 percent), Slovakia (39 percent), Croatia (46 percent), and Greece (46 percent).

Data from Bulgaria, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, and Slovenia – representing roughly a million cars – is missing.

A spokesman for the Brussels-based consumer organisation Beuc did not immediately have an explanation for the east-west difference.

But he pointed to a recent EU commission report on consumer trust, which showed that general trust in retailers is lowest among mostly eastern European states.

"These are worrying findings," said Dutch liberal MEP Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy, co-author of the parliament's inquiry report on the emissions scandal.

He told EUobserver in an email that more research was needed to better understand the differences.

"But it crystal clear that the Dieselgate recalls by car manufacturers are behind schedule," he said.

Gerbrandy also noted that he had doubts about what the recall actually achieved in terms of environmental benefits.

"We need to shift to mandatory recalls in all member states, coordinated at a European level. Not only software updates, but also hardware updates should become mandatory, if we want to have truly cleaner cars on the road that finally comply with the law," he said.

The recalls are not mandatory in all member states.

The highest success rates can be found in countries with a mandatory recall. However, there are also countries with a voluntary recall that score better than some mandatory countries.

There are substantial differences between the four VW brands – Volkswagen, Skoda, Seat, and Audi.

The figures were published recently on an obscure EU website.

The commission provided MEPs with a link to the web page in a document which answered questions from former members of the parliament's inquiry committee into the emissions scandal.

It is not clear what the VW 'fix' exactly means and some reports have come out saying that after the update the car is even more polluting.

The EU's Joint Research Centre found that a Volkswagen Tiguan was emitting more after the defeat device was removed.

Last month, Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad reported that a Dutch research institute found "deviating emissions behaviour" in VW diesel cars where the defeat device had been removed.

Figures based on submissions from the member states to the European Commission. Figures for Croatia, Cyprus, Greece were last updated in October 2017; for Denmark and Finland in December 2017; for Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom in January 2018; and for Portugal in February 2018.

Author bio

The European Data Journalism Network (EDJNet) is a new platform for data-driven news on European affairs brought to you in up to 12 languages by a consortium of media and data journalists from all over Europe, which includes EUobserver.

VW diesel repairs could take until 2019

German car company has fixed 5.4 million of the 8.5 million European diesel cars that were equipped with emissions-cheating software. Some consumers have decided to shun Volkswagen Group forever.

VW dismisses complaints on Dieselgate fix

'I think customers who want to get information (...) are able to receive information if they want," VW management board member Hiltrud Werner told EUobserver. Consumer groups disagree.

COP28 focuses on EU failure to cut livestock emissions

This year's COP28 casts its eye on agriculture, which generates one-third of global emissions. A sector in which EU climate policies lack ambition — as even acknowledged by members of the EU delegation.

Spain's Nadia Calviño backed to be EIB's first female chief

With less than a month to go before the start of a new leadership of the European Investment Bank, the world's largest multilateral lender, the path seems finally clear for one of the candidates, Spanish finance minister Nadia Calviño.

Latest News

  1. EU's 'do no harm' Libya policy hit by militia revelations
  2. Final fight over oil and gas phase-out at COP28 looms
  3. How EU must follow through on Iran womens' Sakharov prize
  4. COP28 focuses on EU failure to cut livestock emissions
  5. Final EU summit of 2023 plus rule of law in Spain This WEEK
  6. Why this week's EU summit must agree a new budget deal
  7. How Moldova is trying to control tuberculosis
  8. Many problems to solve in Dubai — honesty about them is good

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  2. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries
  3. European Citizen's InitiativeThe European Commission launches the ‘ImagineEU’ competition for secondary school students in the EU.
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste
  5. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  6. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us