Today the co-rapporteurs of the Committee of Inquiry into Emission Measurement in the Automotive Sector (EMIS) published its first draft report, which will be discussed by all political groups on 12 January.
 
After almost one year of research on the car-emissions scandal, the report concludes that there was in fact internal communication between Commission services revealing information on ‘hard cycle beating’ – the discrepancy between lab and real-life emissions – but the Commission did not take action to investigate this further. Nor did the Commission supervise the proper implementation of the car-emissions legislation by the member states.

S&D shadow rapporteur, Christine Revault d'Allonnes Bonnefoy MEP, said:
 
"In a lot of cases, the failure of the Commission to fulfil its duties is marked in the report as maladministration, which is a strong verdict. Member states also share a clear responsibility, because according to the information gathered by EMIS members, approval, revision, and strengthening were delayed and industrial interests were prioritised at the expense of health and environment issues.  
 
"To quit this dead-end and ensure European citizens' health, we must now put in place effective and transparent European supervision. The ban on defeat devices must be fully enforced, the emissions norms must be carefully respected and when this is not the case, there must be strong and dissuasive sanction systems."

EMIS chair and S&D vice-president Kathleen Van Brempt MEP said:
 
"I hope that the findings of EMIS will lead to a strengthening of the Commission's proposal for a new type approval and market-surveillance regulation. This is crucial to reduce air pollution not only on paper or in the laboratory, but on the road and in our cities, and to restore the trust of consumers and citizens in European products and policy."

MEPs involved
Head of delegation
Member
Belgium