French NGOs file lawsuits against the government for neglecting to recall defective diesel vehicles on a mass scale
In the automotive industry, the year 2015 marked a significant turning point with the emergence of the diesel emissions scandal. Volkswagen, Renault, and Mercedes-Benz were among the car manufacturers accused of producing vehicles with fraudulent emissions devices.
The Vehicle and Engine Market Surveillance Service (SSMVM), established in France in 2020, has been tasked with checking suspect vehicles and enforcing recalls. However, according to recent reports, the SSMVM conducted only 16 tests for cheating software in 2023 and 20 in 2024.
Despite the allegations, only four car models were subject to corrective decisions, and only two recalls were actually carried out - covering a total of 16,459 vehicles. In another case, involving the Volvo V40, authorities decided not to extend corrective measures to other models despite identifying high nitrogen oxide levels.
The lawsuit accuses the French government of failing to meet its constitutional duty to guarantee a healthy environment. This claim is supported by a study published in May 2023, which warned that without corrective measures, an additional 8,000 deaths and thousands of new childhood asthma cases could occur by 2040, with an estimated economic cost of €45 billion.
Excess diesel emissions in France since 2009 have been linked to 16,000 premature deaths. In an effort to combat this issue, the EU is planning to ban fossil fuel car sales by 2035 and slash truck and bus emissions.
Criminal investigations are still underway in France against Volkswagen, Peugeot-Citroën, Renault, and Fiat Chrysler, but no trials have begun. All the manufacturers contest the charges in these investigations.
In the United States, Volkswagen was forced to buy back affected cars and pay billions in compensation soon after the scandal emerged. A recall for 12,800 Peugeot 308 cars was announced in September 2023 after tests showed the exhaust system allowed excess emissions over time.
The software in these cars detects official emissions tests and switches on pollution controls only during those checks, but emits nitrogen oxides far above legal limits on the road. The recall of the Opel Meriva, covering 3,659 vehicles, was not published until a year after excess emissions were detected.
As the saga continues, environmental groups such as France Nature Environnement, CLCV, and ClientEarth have filed a case against the French government for failing to recall cars with fraudulent emissions devices. Lassman-Trappier, a prominent figure in the environmental movement, stated that the state must remove these vehicles from the market and make the carmakers fix them at their own expense, as France has a legal duty to ensure a healthy environment.
As of 2023, more than 3.2 million cars with illegal devices were still in use in France, but this number had fallen to 2.7 million by 2024. The battle against diesel emissions fraud continues, with the hope that stricter regulations and increased enforcement will lead to a cleaner, healthier future for all.
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