EU presses VW over compensation for emissions scandal

The European Union urged German auto giant Volkswagen on Thursday to compensate European consumers in the same way as its US customers over the emissions test scandal.

Volkswagen chief Matthias Mueller held talks with EU Industry Commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska about the scandal, in which Europe's biggest car maker fitted 11 million diesel engines worldwide with devices aimed at cheating emissions tests.

"Commissioner Bienkowska invited the group once again to reflect on adequate ways to compensate consumers," a spokeswoman for the European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, said after the talks in Brussels.

"She repeated her clear view that EU consumers should be treated in the same way as US customers. Mr Mueller agreed to come back to the Commissioner on the points discussed," the spokeswoman added.

In the United States where Volkswagen is under investigation, the company has offered a "goodwill package" of $1,000 worth of gift and fidelity cards to buyers of affected cars.

But there has been no such offer in Europe, leading to complaints that consumers in the 28-nation bloc are being treated unfairly.

The EU has also been pressing VW to provide more details so it can assess environmental and health impacts of the scandal.

The Commission said Mueller had "committed to sharing without delay all technical information needed for the Commission to assess that the planned corrective measures are effective."

"The Commissioner reiterated that it is equally urgent to share full details concerning the deviations observed in CO2 emissions and (fuel) consumption data," the spokeswoman said.

Brussels is set to unveil new details soon of a system by which EU member states check the safety and environmental standards of all cars to be put on the market, to prevent a repeat of the scandal, the Commission said.