Skip to main content

EU passes testing rules to avoid ‘Dieselgate’ repeat

The European Parliament has rubber-stamped new rules following the Volkswagen emissions scandal which seek in part to increase the quality of testing. The idea of the reforms for the type approval process is to ensure that vehicles act on the road in the way that they have been tested in laboratory conditions. The agreement, which has been two years in the making, requires national market surveillance authorities to check 1 in 40,000 vehicles registered in the country the previous year, with at least 20% o
April 24, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
The European Parliament has rubber-stamped new rules following the 994 Volkswagen emissions scandal which seek in part to increase the quality of testing. The idea of the reforms for the type approval process is to ensure that vehicles act on the road in the way that they have been tested in laboratory conditions.


The agreement, which has been two years in the making, requires national market surveillance authorities to check 1 in 40,000 vehicles registered in the country the previous year, with at least 20% of tests to be emissions-related. 1816 European Union member states will also have to provide sufficient funds for market surveillance activities and to finance type-approval activities from fees levied on manufacturers.

The 1690 European Commission (EC) will be able to carry out assessments of the procedures put in place by type-approval authorities in member states.

Transport group FIA says greater market surveillance and additional oversight by the EC will act as new checks in the system – although it points out that the revised process “fails to end the direct financial link between testers and vehicle manufacturers”.

However, it believes there will be additional transparency. “European consumers have been let down by the system that was meant to deliver cars that performed as promised in the real world,” says 8054 FIA Region I (Europe, Middle East and Africa) director general, Laurianne Krid. “The new rules should increase checks of vehicles already on the market, thus helping to restore consumer trust and confidence.”

She added: “We now need to see the Commission come forward with a dedicated legislative proposal to ensure cyber security, data protection and fair competition with accessing vehicle data.”

Related Content

  • January 6, 2016
    Varying acceptance of tolling in Africa
    Tolling technology is now at an advanced state but governments have a key role in ensuring the success of schemes as is evident in Africa. Shem Oirere reports. According to the African Development Bank, the continent has an estimated $46bn of infrastructure financing deficit. The bank says sub-Saharan Africa requires $93bn annually to meet its infrastructure development needs - but only half of the financing is available.
  • February 2, 2012
    Is Europe's Galileo project value for money?
    Philippe Hamet discusses the progress of the European Union's Galileo Global Navigation Satellite System Project
  • November 11, 2015
    TRL develops eCall test proposals ahead of mandatory roll-out in 2018
    TRL, the UK’s Transport Research Laboratory, has developed proposals for technical requirements and test procedures for the European type-approval of eCall in-vehicle systems. The draft proposals, which were developed for the European Commission, provide recommendations on the safety requirements for eCall systems in preparation of the mandatory European roll-out in 2018. Following the publication of eCall Regulation (EU) 2015/758 in May 2015, TRL was commissioned by the European Commission to develop dr
  • March 14, 2012
    Pilot scheme tests automatic emergency call system
    Development of the European eCall system is now at a stage of national systems testing. Ertico’s project manager for the HeERO pilot scheme Andy Rooke has given ITS International the lowdown on progress towards pan-European eCall services. Live testing is now under way in the nine countries participating in the European Commission’s HeERO project – a three year pilot scheme preparing the way for full deployment of Europe’s eCall automatic emergency call system.