After years of legal wrangling, consumer organisation Testaankoop and car manufacturer Volkswagen have agreed not to appeal a July 2023 ruling by the Dutch-speaking court of first instance in Brussels in the Dieselgate emissions scandal. Tuesday’s decision marks the end of a lengthy legal battle.
The Brussels court had ordered Volkswagen to compensate consumers for vehicles equipped with software that manipulated emissions data during testing. Testaankoop had filed both a class action and a traditional legal procedure on behalf of Belgian consumers.
An agreement has been reached between Testaankoop and Volkswagen on how the compensation process will be carried out. A dedicated platform hosted by Testaankoop is now open for affected consumers to submit their claims. “This agreement puts an end to the long legal procedure,” the organisation said.
The scandal erupted in 2015 after a study by the University of West Virginia, commissioned by the US Environmental Protection Agency, revealed that certain Volkswagen and Audi vehicles were fitted with software designed to cheat emissions tests. Under normal driving conditions, the vehicles emitted far more pollutants than allowed.
Volkswagen later admitted that it had installed the software in 11 million diesel cars worldwide. In Belgium, more than 300,000 vehicles were affected across the Volkswagen, Audi, Seat and Skoda brands.
“We are happy to finally be able to announce that we have definitively closed this case”
Testaankoop brought the case to Belgian courts in 2016, seeking compensation for local consumers. The court eventually ruled that individuals who had bought cars with the cheating software were entitled to damages from Volkswagen AG.
Compensation was set at 5 per cent of the original purchase price, or 5 per cent of the difference between the purchase and resale price if the vehicle had since been sold.
Both sides reviewed the rulings and the option to appeal before deciding to accept the verdict. “There was a long discussion, but it was a very complex matter,” said Laura Clays, spokesperson for Testaankoop. “We are happy to finally be able to announce that we have definitively closed this case.”
Consumers can submit their claims through a platform on Testaankoop’s website.
© PHOTO JULIAN STRATENSCHULTE / DPA
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