European Commission launches legal action against UK following Volkswagen emissions scandal

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The European Commission has launched the first stages of legal action against the UK Government over failing to properly regulate car emissions, following the Volkswagen emissions scandal.

With the car maker having found to have fitted over a million vehicles in the UK with devices aimed to defeat emissions tests, the European Commission has accused the country of failing to set up penalties to deter emissions cheating.

The EC also claimed the UK refused to share details of breaches of EU emissions laws uncovered in the course of national investigations.

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The UK, along with Germany, Spain and Luxembourg, has been given two months to provide the Commission with a satisfactory response, or it will launch action through the European Court of Justice.

Commissioner for Industry Elzbieta Bienkowska said: "Abiding by the law is first and foremost the duty of car manufacturers.

“But national authorities across the EU must ensure that car manufacturers actually comply with the law."

Earlier this year MPs on the Transport Select Committee criticised the Government for being too slow to take action against VW.

Data from the European Environmental Agency shows NOx pollution from diesel engines causes the premature death of 72,000 people per year.