Commission to back consumer groups in pitch for VW compensation

“Volkswagen has breached European consumer legislation. This cannot be without consequences.”

Justice Commissioner Vĕra Jourová said Monday she will back Europe’s consumer authorities in their bid to get compensation from Volkswagen over the Dieselgate emissions scandal.

“Volkswagen has breached European consumer legislation. This cannot be without consequences,”Jourová said in a statement. “Tomorrow I will support EU consumer authorities to bring this to the next level and start joint enforcement action against Volkswagen.”

Tuesday’s meeting comes just weeks after VW CEO Matthias Müller refused a request from Jourová to compensate European consumers.

Although VW has set aside more than $20 billion for its U.S. customers, it has refused to do so in the EU. The carmaker says just a quick fix is needed to bring its cars into compliance with EU emissions standards, which are laxer than those in the U.S.

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“More than half a year into our dialogue, VW has not delivered on key demands from consumers,” said Jourová. “VW needs to move on the issue and ensure that consumers are treated fairly all over Europe. This includes some form of extra bonus or voluntary compensation for European consumers besides the refitting of the car.”

VW has committed to fixing all affected vehicles by autumn of this year. Last year, Jourová wrote to national consumer authorities asking them to report back on how they were being treated by carmakers and whether rules were being breached.