During the EP plenary session (3-6 April 2017) in Strasbourg ,&nbsp;Kathleen VAN BREMPT (S&amp;D, BE), Chair of the EMIS Committee, Jens GIESEKE (EPP, DE) and Gerben-Jan GERBRANDY (ALDE, NL), rapporteurs, express themselves on the final inquiry report and recommendations of the Committee of Inquiry into Emission Measurements in the Automotive Sector (EMIS) in front of the press.&nbsp;

Strasbourg

emissions of vehicles (T)

press conference

VAN BREMPT, Kathleen (S&D, BE)

GERBRANDY, Gerben-Jan (ALDE, NL)

GIESEKE, Jens (EPP, DE)

Committee of Inquiry into Emission Measurements in the Automotive Sector

The final inquiry report and recommendations of the EMIS Committee: extracts from the press conference by Kathleen VAN BREMPT (S&D, BE), Jens GIESEKE (EPP, DE) and Gerben-Jan GERBRANDY (ALDE, NL), rapporteurs

SOUNDBITE (English), Kathleen VAN BREMPT (S&amp;D, BE), The inquiry Committee concluded that the Volkswagen scandal that broke out in 2015 is just one aspect of a much wider problem. It is not just the Volkswagen scandal the fact that they were large discrepancies between the NOx emissions in diesel cars, in the lap and on the road were well known at the level of the Member States and the European Commission. Clearly, it identifies the responsibilities of the EU Commission and of the Member States.

SOUNDBITE (English), Kathleen VAN BREMPT (S&amp;D, BE), The key recommendation that we called for today for the Commission to put forward a legislative proposal for the establishment of the collective redress system in order to create a harmonise system for EU consumers. We think that is extremely important together with the amendments that were voted today on the consumer rights, it is being in the middle of our discussions in the EMIS Committee.

SOUNDBITE (English), Gerben-Jan GERBRANDY (ALDE, NL), It is really a very stron and critical report. If Commissioner Bienkowska says that she agrees with all conclusions and recommendations I also expect her to implement them. A few of them might be difficult. One is much more transparency on all the different technical expert groups that we have between the Commission and Member States.

SOUNDBITE (English), Gerben-Jan GERBRANDY (ALDE, NL), To put those responsibilities into the hands of one Commissioner, that is quite something. That means that in practice that the Environment Commissioner will be responsible for emission legislation for cars and many other industrial sectors. That is also a very important recommendation.

SOUNDBITE (German), Jens GIESEKE (EPP, DE), In our Member States we do have different ways of interpreting the legislation. We need some body which can decide on manipulation with software, the time windows that Fiat was using, and Europe needs them to be able to take a decision. That could be an agency taking a decision but it could be also the Commission. That is why I am pleased that the amendment went through today.

SOUNDBITE (English), Gerben-Jan GERBRANDY (ALDE, NL), We have criticised the Member States even more heavily than the Commission. I assume that we have sent our reports to our national parliaments to allow them to put this on their national agendas as well. If I were a national parliamentarian I would not be very happy with conclusions about my government in such a strong wording without asking for any political responsibility for that. I assume that this will have to follow up at national level as well.

SOUNDBITE (English), Gerben-Jan GERBRANDY (ALDE, NL), For me European oversight is crucial. We have seen that Member States are simply not able to apply European rules in an equal way everywhere without having another look at national industrial interest. We need much stronger European oversight.

SOUNDBITE (English), Kathleen VAN BREMPT (S&amp;D, BE), We have 420,000 premature deaths in Europe because of bad air quality. That is one of the reasons why we need very ambitious laws and that is one of the reasons why we should address the &lsquo;Dieselgate&rsquo; affair and other reasons. It is very difficult to make a very direct link between what happened on the &lsquo;Dieselgate&rsquo; and these 420,000 deaths.

SOUNDBITE (English), Gerben-Jan GERBRANDY (ALDE, NL), During the hearings I have never heard any public excuse from the car industry that never mention anything about compensation in Europe which I think is really outrageous. That is something that is certainly not over yet. I really expect still a lot of cases, maybe at the beginning from car owners, but maybe others will follow. I think it is really inexcusable that the car industry is reacting as they are doing.