UOKiK to begin proceedings against Volkswagen

Poland’s Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) is, this week, initiating proceedings against Volkswagen Poland arising from last year’s emissions manipulation scandal, UOKiK said in a press release on Thursday. VW Poland could face a penalty of up 10 percent of the company’s turnover, it was indicated. According to UOKiK, Volkswagen Group Poland applied the faulty software, which misread nitrogen dioxide emissions, beginning in 2008, effectively allowing the company to “cheat” on its mandated requirement to meet the standards. It did so in its Audi and Skoda products as well as in the VW-brand name vehicles, according to the statement. “The issue touched a large number of car users, both consumers and entrepreneurs in Poland and throughout the EU. The actions concerned may have involved, among others, a violation of the collective interests of consumers, and lack of compliance with environmental standards and technical standards,” said UOKiK. Because VW Poland may have intentionally misled customers, the proceedings may result in a decision that the company infringed on collective consumer interests. It may also result in a commitment to take actions to repair the adverse consequences, so that customers are compensated for the infringement. In 2016, VW paid USD 16.5 billion to American VW diesel vehicle owners in a settlement. The European Commission then urged all EU countries to conduct national investigations aiming to determine the scale of the problem. UOKiK started it soon after.