Romania and the Volkswagen scandal

The European Union is waiting for the results of the investigation conducted by member states in the case of the diesel engines used by the German carmaker Volkswagen. The German car giant has admitted cheating emission tests by using a software which can detect when the cars are being tested and can reduce the emissions produced, which means that the emissions in actual driving were considerably higher than those found during testing.

In Romania, authorities have issued ID cards for 105 thousand new and second-hand Volkswagen, Skoda, Audi and Seat vehicles. According to the head of the Pollution and Technical Consultancy Department with the Romanian Car Registry Authority, Serban Dobre, there are no concrete data yet as to the number of cars equipped with devices used to manipulate the level of exhaust fumes. The German homologation authority is expected to provide more precise data in this respect.

Serban Dobre: “The German authority will soon find out the exact number of vehicles with problems and there will surely be a data base which we can access in order to establish which of the vehicles involved are currently in Romania and which of them should be recalled.”

Owners will take their cars back to the producer after Volkswagen makes public its plan of measures to fix the problem. Romanian Transport Minister, Iulian Matache, gave details about the steps to be taken: ”After having received the schedule and the plan of measures, the Romanian Car Registry Authority will supply the Volkswagen representative in the country with all necessary information for the second-hand cars to be brought alongside the new ones at the Volkswagen car servicing network. Also, the Car Registry Authority will carefully monitor the observance of the car fixing schedule.”

Owners of recalled cars will not bear the car servicing costs or pay additional pollution fee, but the Environment Fund Administration will claim for compensation for being provided with false pollution figures.

Environment Minister Gratiela Gavrilescu: “Buyers of such cars were well-intended, because as long as they paid for a certain brand and for a Euro 5 car they should not be forced to pay additional pollution fees. Of course, the Romanian State, through the Environment Fund Administration, will file a lawsuit against the producer or the Volkswagen representative in Romania.”

Another measure taken by the Romanian authorities was to temporarily ban the registration of 300 new Euro 5 Volkswagen vehicles. Moreover, car dealers might be accused of unfair commercial practices and of misinforming customers. The fine for such deeds ranks from 5 thousand to 25 thousand euros.