European maladministration helped cause Dieselgate

Few national governments attend a working group empowered by the commission to develop emissions tests for road vehicles.

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.

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.

[Updated] Centre-left chairwoman of European Parliament's committee investigating the emissions scandal denied the claim, saying there was a misunderstanding.

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.

Chairwoman of the inquiry committee, Kathleen Van Brempt, says that the car approval system needs to be reformed.

Witnesses in German parliamentary hearing say they lacked the evidence to prove emissions cheating, and that other ministries were susceptible to car industry lobbying.

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.

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.

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.

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”.

An EUobserver investigation and EU parliament testimony paint a gloomy picture of how EU national authorities neglected to implement clean air car laws.