Transport and Environment ministers met on Thursday at the Transport Ministry’s HQs to tackle the Volkswagen scandal, with the management of the Romanian Auto Registry attending. This is the first such meeting on this topic in Romania since the ‘Dieselgate’ scandal burst.
The Environment Minister Gratiela Gavrilescu said after the meeting that the Romanian authorities would ask Volkswagen to pay the difference for the environmental tax resulted following re-classification of the problematic engines so that the car byers shouldn’t be affected in this respect.
“No Romanian citizen will pay any difference for the environmental tax as it’s not their fault. We’ll direct against the producer or the VW legal representative in Romania,” Gavrilescu said.
In his turn, the Transport minister Iulian Matache stated that he is expecting data from the German Transport Ministry and from Volkswagen, informing that in Romania ID cards were issued for 105,000 VW cars, with 56,000 new vehicles.
The minister also said the Romanian Auto Registry (RAR) blocked the release of the ID cards for new Euro 5 Diesel vehicles of VW brand which are not sold yet. There are 300 cars on the dealers stocks (Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda and Seat) which cannot be registered in Romania until the problems are solved.
Senate Speaker Calin Popescu Tariceanu had stated previously in the daythat the Romanian Auto Registry (RAR) does not issue identity cards for Volkswagen cars expected to be sold in Romania, according to Senate Speaker Calin Popescu Tariceanu.
“I’ve had a discussion with the two ministers who are directly responsible for environment, the Environment Minister for pollution and the Transport Minister. The Minister of Transport informed me that already RAR does not issue identity cards for cars to be sold and that are in stock,” said Tariceanu for Digi24 TV.
He added that citizens should be protected. “When the authorities become aware of such a situation, they must react until consumer associations are set up, until they hire lawyers to protect their interests in court,” said the Senate Speaker.
Tariceanu considers that the Romanian state was deceived, because it charged – by collecting the environmental tax – less money for cars that pollute more. “I believe that the Romanian state must act, as other countries do, such as Belgium which has become a civil party against Volkswagen, in Spain the government has decided to penalize by EUR 1,000 the manufacturer for each car sold,” said Tariceanu.
Over 100,000 cars Volkswagen having soft problems were sold in Romania, and could be recalled to service in the near future, according to sources in the automotive field.
Moreover, WV dealers who sell German cars in Romania can be fined up to RON 100,000 for selling a products which is not compliant with the standards, the head of the National Authority for Consumer Protection (ANPC) revealed also on Thursday.
“I am levying a fine on the dealer. It’s his problem, as in a supermarket I fine the supermarket and it will settle the problem with the producer. In this case, the producer is in Germany, I cannot fine the producer,” said ANPC head, Marius Dunca.