European Officials Worried About Emissions Cheaters More Than Two Years Ago
The Financial Times has obtained documents revealing Europe’s top environmental regulator raised concerns years ago
According to a report by the Financial Times, Janez Potocnik, former European environmental commissioner, wrote a letter in February 2013 expressing concerns over emissions testing and how well it could actively monitor the emissions observed on the road.
“There are widespread concerns that performance has been tailored tightly to compliance with the test cycle in disregard of the dramatic increase in emissions outside that narrow scope,” the environment commissioner wrote. “Vehicles are required to comply with the Euro limit values in normal driving conditions, and my services and I are often put in an uncomfortable position when defending the perceived lack of action by the commission and member states in addressing the obvious failure to ensure this.”
In the letter, Potocnik asked for tougher measures to be taken on automakers. Sources say this concern didn’t stem from “defeat devices,” which are central to the current Volkswagen conspiracy.