Italy to recall VW cars if emissions rigging in EU proved, urges Europe-wide checks

Italian authorities would recall Volkswagen (VW) cars in the country if it were proved the German automaker also rigged emissions tests in Europe, Italian Environment Minister Gian Luca Galletti said on Wednesday.

Italy has questioned the legitimacy of Volkswagen emissions testing since Tuesday, when the German auto maker acknowledged up to 11 million diesel cars worldwide were involved in the scandal that has broken out over its cheating on emissions tests in the United States.

"If it will be proved that in Europe the same thing has happened as occurred in the U.S., the result could only be the same: that is, the stop of sales of Volkswagen modified cars," Galletti told State Rai TV.

Some 482,000 VW cars were recalled in the United States, after the German company admitted cars with Type EA 189 engines had been equipped with a device able to temporarily reduce emissions during official testing.

This practice allowed VW cars to meet the required standards of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but were emitting more pollutants into the air during regular driving.

On Tuesday, Italy's ministry of transport and infrastructure asked Volkswagen Italy to prove that its cars sold in the country were not equipped with the illegal device.

"The ministry wishes to know whether the offense that occurred in the U.S., where different approval rules apply, was also carried out on approvals done by the German authority for Europe, and if such vehicles have been sold in Italy," it said in a statement.

The ministry for the environment sent a similar request for clarification to the company.

Detailed information was also requested from the German Federal Motor Transport Authority, which is responsible for testing German vehicles' emissions in both Germany and other European countries.

Italian authorities expressed concern about the scandal with regards to both "environmental protection and the possible impact on the whole vehicle type approval in the European Union".

"We must apply a common European code of conduct on this issue, especially on those controls at the European level that have proved not to be up to those in the U.S.," minister Galletti said.

"This scandal clearly reveals we need to improve the whole vehicles approval system in Europe to protect both public health and the rights of those automakers who respect the rules".

Italy was also worried about the potential repercussions of the scandal on its economy.

"It is a most serious and apprehensive situation," Minister of Economic Development Federica Guidi told local media.

"Considering the crucial role of the automotive industry for Italy's manufacturing ... We need to have clarity (into the scandal) as soon as possible, in order to ascertain what effects it might have on the country," said the minister. Endit