Στις εξελίξεις για το dieselgate of VW, η γερμανική αυτοκινητοβιομηχανία κατέληξε σε συμβιβασμό with the αμερικανικό Υπουργείο Δικαιοσύνης, την Υπηρεσία Προστασίας του Περιβάλλοντος (EPA) και τους υπόλοιπους φορείς. Στην πράξη, αυτό σημαίνει ότι το VAG γλιτώνει τον διασυρμό του να καθίσει στο σκαμνί του Ομοσπονδιακού δικαστηρίου των ΗΠΑ, πληρώνοντας παχυλές αποζημιώσεις and in State, αλλά και στους πελάτες της, στην άλλη άκρη του Ατλαντικού.
Προσέξτε τώρα: Αναμένοντας την ανακοίνωση, ή έστω διαρροή των λεπτομερειών της συμφωνίας, αξίζει να επικεντρωθούμε στο τι προσφέρει το Group στους Αμερικανούς (μόνο σε αυτούς, προς το παρόν) πελάτες της, που έχουν στην κατοχή τους τα VW/Audi with the δίλιτρο diesel που φορά το παράνομο λογισμικό απόκρυψης ρύπων.
Ενώπιον ομοσπονδιακού δικαστή, η VAG θα δεσμευθεί ότι προσφέρεται να επαναγοράσει τα περισσότερα από τα 500.000 μοντέλα της που πούλησε στις ΗΠΑ και επηρρεάζονται από το σκάνδαλο. Πληροφορίες αναφέρουν ότι στους κατόχους των συγκεκριμένων μοντέλων με το παράνομο λογισμικό, θα προσφερθεί η λύση να πουλήσουν πίσω στη VW το αυτοκίνητό τους, ή να κάνουν επισκευές, προσφέροντάς τους αποζημίωση ύψους 5.000 δολαρίων.
Η γερμανική αυτοκινητοβιομηχανία δεσμεύθηκε πως θα διαθέσει ποσό ύψους 1 δις δολαρίων για την αποζημίωση των ιδιοκτητών, όμως εκτιμάται ότι το συνολικό ποσό που θα χρειαζόταν η VW για την επαναγορά όλων των οχημάτων που εμπλέκονται στο σκάνδαλο, θα ξεπερνούσε τα 7 δις.
Η προσφορά επαναγοράς θα ισχύει αρχικά για τα VW Jetta και Golf (δεν έχει αποσαφηνιστεί τι θα γίνει με τα Beetle και Passat) καθώς και το Audi A3, που αγοράστηκαν από το 2009 και μετά and θα εξαιρεί τα περίπου 80.000 3λιτρα diesel που εμπλέκονται στο ίδιο σκάνδαλο. Προκύπτουν βέβαια και άλλα ερωτήματα, όπως για παράδειγμα το τι θα κάνει η VW σε αυτούς που θα αρνηθούν να της τα πουλήσουν και ζητήσουν τις επιδιορθώσεις, στο πλαίσιο της ανάκλησης. Κι αυτό γιατί η VW αναγκάστηκε να κλείσει το deal με τις αμερικανικές Αρχές, όσο its engineers could not find a (technical) solution to remove the defeat system that satisfies EPA.
As soon as the news was leaked in the US, VW's shares in the Atlantic country jumped 6 points to $30.95. Because the news was accompanied by the creation of an extra fund by VW, with which it will finance activities to protect the environment in the USA.
VW/Audi "cleaned up" with the US scandal. In Europe, what?
And the big question which now arises, is the what will happen in the other countries and, above all, the one that concerns us, ours. We recall that the VW / Audi representative in Greece, Kosmocar, has announced that the vehicles already circulating in Greece and affected by the illegal software are 6,362 passenger and 882 commercial VW vehicles, as well as 1,875 Audi cars (9.119 vehicles in total, although it is doubtful whether those sold by over-imports and imports of used vehicles are counted). What will happen to these owners?
Evolution does not exist no, as it seems that VAG technicians have not been able to find a solution to "clean" the engine with a code EA189, which shall at least be accepted by the German authorities- and therefore from the Greek ones, according to European law.
And while VW has been committed by... Last year how to present technical solutions to the issue and to the Greek authorities, is in progress Research ordered by the Head of the Prosecutor's Office, Elias Zagoraeus, who ordered a search to be carried out preliminary examination in order to investigate any criminal liability for cars imported into Greece and circulating with illegal software that falsifies emission values.
Leaving for a moment the criminal part aside, it is worth pointing out that law firms in Greece, "collect" the cases of car owners with the illegal software, so that to take legal action. In the civil part of the case, beyond the ethical part in which a client could request compensation -which will depend on the criminal aspect- now that there is a deal for the American clients, there is also a question of compensation here. Unless, if it is accepted (really, on what grounds?) that there is DISCUSSION between Europeans and Americans Customers. Because the Europeans, and in this case, the Greek owners of such vehicles, not entitledlike the Americans, to sell their cars back to the company if they were deceived;
Here, the German giant seems to have an ace up his sleeve: Already, in the US it is rumoured that not all of its defrauded customers will be compensated by the buyback, but 500,000, and that the amount to be paid out will not exceed $1 billion. In addition, it will try to enter into a private out-of-court settlement with the US, like Siemens did, which has paid colossal reparations to the US and Greece, has hardly paid a single penny in compensation.
Now to the criminal part: As the TopSpeed.gr in the past, the question is what the prosecution investigation could bring. Obviously, for the Greek delegation, for the importers, it's probably impossible to get them involved legally, as it doesn't appear from anywhere that they knew about the fraud. But, on the other hand, to whom could the Greek authorities attribute criminal responsibility for fraud against the State and beyond? This is a good question, since the investigation will inevitably end up in Germany, where an investigation into the same matter is under way.
What if he concludes that criminal charges arise? What happens? Will it be what happened with the other German companies "caught" in a scandal in Greece? What happened with Siemens, MAN, Hochtief, or the car companies that were underpricing? Nothing?
Prosecution sources say that apart from the criminal charges, the investigation will focus directly on another, most important point: It is the investigation, on the basis of which it will be established whether the Greek State suffered financial damage. We recall that in cases of this kind, the damage to the State is a guide for the prosecution, the continuation of the prosecution's investigation, or the placement of the case in the Archives. Recall for example the Vatopedi case, or the Siemens case, where committees upon committees were set up to determine precisely the damage suffered by the public before the judicial process could continue.
In the case of dieselgate, potentially - since no one can prejudge the judicial investigation - the conclusion of the GAO and a committee of the Ministry of Finance will be requested for any lost profits from circulation taxes. That is, whether the owners of vehicles with the EA189 engine paid lower fees than those resulting from actual emissions. In this case, the burden of responsibility is not on the owners, but on the car manufacturer.
Another parameter is the economic damage resulting from the additional pollution of the environment. Already, there are the first "organs" with the lawsuit of the mayor of Volos, Ach. Beos against VW (based on this rationale) and there is a relevant precedent/precedent with the fines imposed on industries for the pollution of the Asopos aquifer. This and other experience, however, shows us that the calculation of the economic damage (insurance fund burden, etc.) caused indirectly by the additional pollution is very difficult to calculate clearly and to be scientifically acceptable. Hence, it is difficult to stand up in any court of law.
