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EU Official Thinks VW Should Compensate European TDI Owners Just Like US Clients

Volkswagen’s compensation plan for its American customers does not go well for European owners, who will not receive comparable benefits.
Volkswagen 2.0-liter TDI engine 1 photo
Photo: Volkswagen
Elzbieta Bienkowska, Europe’s Industry Commissioner, believes that Volkswagen should replicate its $14.7 billion plan in the European Union, for each of its customers who have bought a vehicle with a “defeat device.”

In other words, Bienkowska told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper that she thinks that Volkswagen should voluntarily provide the same compensation to its European customers.

The EU Industry Commissioner believes it would be unfair of Volkswagen to treat European customers differently because of a different legal system.

However, this difference in legal systems allows Volkswagen not to be bound to compensate its customers as long as it repairs their vehicles and brings every car sold to the homologated standard.

Treating customers in Europe differently than US customers is no way to win back trust,” says Elzbieta Bienkowska, Europe’s Industry Commissioner, Germany’s Welt reports.

However, Volkswagen is not obligated by any European law in sight to pay compensation to the customers that acquired vehicles fitted with “defeat devices,” an element which is used to trick emission testing procedures to believe the TDI engines were as clean as the company stated.

Bienkowska admits it is not her job to give Volkswagen advice on how to deal with the matter, but she sees a difference in how the German company treats its clients depending on the laws applicable in each market.

During the same statement, Europe’s Industry Commissioner criticized fellow member states for not reforming the type-approval system for new cars, and claims she has requested transport ministers in the primary markets to rush the process.

Bienkowska has proposed a change in the authorization process for new types of cars. However, she has not received approval from all EU member states on her plan, while other EU Commissioners are seeking solutions to improve emission testing procedures.
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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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