The European Union intends on launching legal action against Italy for how it handled alleged Fiat Chrysler emissions-test cheating.
According to Automotive News, officials from the EU believe the Italian government may have colluded with the automaker and has yet to convince regulators that FCA’s use of a device to control emissions was justified.
“They (Italian authorities) still need to provide additional information that would convince us that the devices used in Fiat models are justified and can therefore be considered legal,” an EU source told the publication.
In February, a report from Italy’s transport ministry revealed that FCA was permitted to skip a selection of key tests as part of the country’s emissions-cheating investigation. All of the tests in question had been designed to uncover defeat devices and had to be performed by the likes of Mercedes-Benz, Opel, Ford, BMW and Volkswagen.
FCA, like a number of other European automakers, asserts that it is permitted to use emissions control devices under an exemption that allows such systems in order to protect engines or for safety purposes.
PHOTO GALLERY
