Bieńkowska fails to persuade VW to pay compensation in Europe

Europe's Industry Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska wrote a letter on January 15 to Volksawagen's CEO Matthias Mueller, in which she demanded equal treatment of US and European customers in terms of paying out compensation for the diesel emissions scandal. "I would like to ask you to reconsider your stance regarding compensation and reflect on the ways of also offering compensation to European consumers," Bieńkowska said in a letter revealed by Reuters. "The issue of compensation goes beyond the difference in the legal set-up between the US and the EU and plays a fundamental role in viewing VW as a responsible and trustworthy company," Bieńkowska wrote after holding a series of meetings with Mueller. Apparently, her efforts turned out to be unsuccessful. At the end of last week, Volkswagen issued a statement, saying that the situation in Europe and the US is not easily comparable. "Therefore this action (the compensation scheme) cannot simply be rolled out in other markets." "We are concentrating on the repair and service process in Europe," the company said. Further talks between Bieńkowska and Mueller are to be held.