Environmental NGO Wins Emissions Software Lawsuit
The NGO, Deutsche Umwelthilfe, calls for Volkswagen Golf vehicles to be recalled due to software manipulation of emissions mechanisms. The NGO alleges that the KBA authority should never have allowed these vehicles to be released to the market.
Court Orders Revocation of Vehicles' Release
A court spokesperson said that "the case was effectively successful," meaning the decision by the authority to release the vehicles must be revoked. The DUH is planning further cases against the KBA involving BMW, Volkswagen, and Mercedes-Benz vehicles, which, if successful, could mean up to ten million cars authorized by the KBA would need to be recalled, the NGO said.
Volkswagen Awaits Full Reasoning of Court
In a statement, Volkswagen said it would wait to receive the full reasoning of the court to decide on its next steps.
European Court Backs Environmental Association's Right to Take Action
The European Court of Justice backed the rights of environmental associations to take such actions against EU vehicle approvals based on DUH's lawsuit. The lawsuit was initially rejected by the Schleswig administrative court in 2017.
Ruling on Exhaust Gas Recirculation Software
The ruling concerns software Volkswagen installed to control the recirculation of exhaust gases. EU courts have said that the software is illegal in certain conditions, but Volkswagen views it as in line with the law.
