Volkswagen scandal: UK faces legal action

THE UK is one of four countries facing legal action by the European Union for not imposing penalties on Volkswagen over its use of software in diesel vehicles to cheat emissions tests.

It is also accused of refusing to disclose all the technical information gathered in its investigations into the scandal.

The controversy began on September 18 last year when US regulators told VW to recall 482,000 diesel cars after discovering they contained illegal defeat devices.

The Environmental Protection Agency said the software allowed cars to release fewer smog-causing pollutants during tests than in real-world driving conditions.

It then emerged that about 11m cars worldwide were fitted with the software, including 1.2m in the UK.

The European Commission, which enforces EU law, is taking legal action against the UK, Germany, Spain and Luxembourg — the countries which issued type approvals for Volkswagen cars in the EU — for not penalising the manufacturer.

The Czech Republic, Greece and Lithuania also face action for not introducing such penalty systems into their national law. Meanwhile the UK and Germany are also accused of breaking the law by not handing over all the results of their inquiries into potential nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions irregularities in cars by VW and other manufacturers.