EU Could Fine Volkswagen Over Consumer Protection: German Media

FRANKFURT, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News -5th Sep,2016) - German auto giant Volkswagen could face penalties and compensation claims over its diesel emissions scandal under European consumer protection law, a top EU official told newspaper Die Welt in remarks published Monday.

"In most member states, Volkswagen clearly infringed consumer protection law," justice and consumer protection commissioner Vera Jourova said. "I think it's therefore necessary that we intervene to co-ordinate at the European level." Jourova had asked national authorities to examine whether the carmaker had broken consumer protection rules in the so-called "Dieselgate" scandal.

VW admitted in September 2015 to building so-called "defeat devices" into millions of diesel cars, which detected when the motors were undergoing regulatory tests and drastically reduced emissions.

In normal road driving, emissions were much higher than claimed by the manufacturer and exceeded regulatory limits, in some cases many times over. So far the firm has only been hit with fines and forced to compensate customers in the United States, where VW is on the hook for $16.5 billion (14.8 billion Euros) in fines and payouts to drivers.