Brussels wants to understand software for cars – Financieele Dagblad

Car manufacturers have to provide insight into the software they use in cars. Thus, the European Commission shoddy occur when testing the emission of harmful gases into the cars, according to proposals presented to the executive committee of the EU Wednesday to strengthen its grip on the car industry.

The plans are a response to the emission scandal at Volkswagen. In September last year appeared in the United States that the German car group with the help of software manipulated the emission of nitrogen oxides.

Fines, recall campaigns

Because of the scandal also revealed that the European Commission is hardly in a position to respond. National authorities are primarily responsible for the car testing. Commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska (internal market) wants to keep it that way; she does not aim at the creation of a new EU authorities, but Brussels does is keep supervises the tests and also check the tests. The European Commission will have the power to hand out fines if tests show defects and recalls can enforce.

It is also important Bienkowska which will enhance the independence of the test. Inspection Houses will no longer be directly paid by the manufacturers, as is often the case.

The Polish commissioner presents the plans together Wednesday with Jyrki Katainen, as vice president within the European Commission responsible for employment and growth. EU countries must approve it not too bad, as the European Parliament.

New test

The entire auto industry has had to defend himself from the events at Volkswagen to the fact that cars on the road emit more harmful gases then tests show in laboratories.

Last year Bienkowska has already proposed to introduce from next autumn tests that take into account realistic conditions or so-called ‘real driving emissions’ testing. The European Parliament will vote next week on this proposal, which is controversial because it also allows wider emission defects. The organization of European carmakers, Acea, calls for rapid clarification, such as the development of a new car according to Acea Chairman and Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche “enormously complex” and requires four to seven years.

Under fire

The role of the European Commission has also come under attack by the emission scandal. They would have been long known of the use of sjoemelsoftware to manipulate testing. The European Parliament last week launched an investigation into this allegation.