EU court backs broader definition of vehicle defeat devices

Technologies used by Volkswagen to rig vehicle emissions tests should be considered illegal, the European Union’s highest court ruled on Thursday, even if they contribute to preventing ageing or clogging up of the engine.

The Court of Justice of the European Union was asked to rule in a French prosecution against the carmaker for allegedly deceiving purchasers of diesel vehicles.

Volkswagen had argued in favour of a restrictive interpretation, limiting the scope of a defeat device to technologies and strategies operating only “downstream” – concerning the emissions after the gases’ production.

However, the court found that the term should also apply to “upstream” technology.

Lucy Harlow

Lucy Harlow is a senior Correspondent who has been reporting about Commodities, Currencies, Bonds etc across the globe for last 10 years. She reports from New York and tracks daily movement of various indices across the Globe