EU to penalise member states following emissions scandal

European Union member states will have legal action taken against them by the EU government, as commissioner Bienkowska aims to penalise countries deemed to have not effectively enforced emissions legislation.

A report from Reuters says that Bienkowska aims to take some EU states to task for exceeding the emissions limit set by the EU, but refused to disclose exactly which countries would be indicted.

The commissioner also added to the increasing pressure on Volkswagen to compensate its European customers in the same way that it will its American customers.

Volkswagen has so far held firmly to its initial decision to not offer the same compensation package to customers in the EU, claiming that a less invasive fix is required and thus, compensation is not necessary.

The UK government has been pressured by various MPs and committees to crack down on Volkswagen post-dieselgate, and has itself drawn criticism for its apparent lack of action, a year on from the scandal.

The BBC has also reported that only one in 10 affected Volkswagen Group cars have been recalled since the automotive giant began recall proceedings, sparking concern about the car maker’s speed of response to the scandal.

The UK is not expected to face legal action from the EU since no British-based car makers have been found to use emissions cheat devices. Two of the country's biggest car makers, Jaguar Land Rover and Nissan, both proved their innocence during investigations following the Dieselgate scandal.

The UK will, however, likely be included in a Europe-wide call for tighter tests.

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