In passing a report in plenary session by the wide margin of 618 votes to 26, with 7 abstentions in Strasbourg on Tuesday 13 September, the European Parliament called for greater cooperation from the Commission and the member states with the committee of inquiry (EMIS) into the Volkswagen scandal.
The Commission is asked to ensure “prompt” support and full transparency in assisting the work of the EMIS committee, with full respect for the principle of loyal cooperation. Parliament hopes to receive all the technical and political support possible, “in particular through swifter submission of requested documentation”. The situation may appear somewhat odd, Internal Market and Industry Commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska having complained the previous day of the lack of cooperation from the member states with the EMIS committee (see other article).
Parliament criticises the Commission for the slowness of procedures allowing access to certain documents, such as the minutes of meetings of the technical committee – motor vehicles (see EUROPE 11589). The root of the problem, it would appear, lies not in the private office of Bienkowska but higher up the Commission hierarchy, EUROPE has been informed. Some sources believe that it may be Vice-President Jyrki Katainen who is responsible (see EUROPE 11585). Cooperation with the Commission has, however, improved since the summer, according to what joint rapporteur Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy (ALDE, Netherlands) said.
MEPs also called on the member states to cooperate more fully, just as Bienkowska had done. On Monday, the commissioner announced that a raft of infringement procedures will be opened next month (see other article). The MEPs on the EMIS committee will now focus their attention on national authorities and ministries. French Environment Minister Ségolène Royal is particularly keenly awaited, following allegations that information may have been withheld from the national investigating commission (see EUROPE 11610). Royal has yet to respond to the EMIS committee invitation. Several sources, however, are speaking of 5 October as the date for her appearance before the MEPs.
The report adopted by Parliament is only an interim report. It does not attempt to deliver any conclusions on the investigation but seeks to set out the work done half-way through the committee’s mandate and a timetable for the future. Thus far, the committee has met 12 times totalling some 50 hours in the course of which it has heard 37 people, who have responded to close to 400 written questions. Recently, a number of former commissioners have appeared before the committee, including Günter Verheugen (see EUROPE 11612), Janez Potocnik (see EUROPE 11616) and Antonio Tajani (see EUROPE 11617). For the remaining 10 sessions, the focus of the MEPs will be on national figures and bodies. The final report is expected to be adopted in spring 2017.
Lastly, it should be noted that, in Strasbourg, the EPP seized the opportunity once again to attack committee chair Kathleen Van Brempt (S&D, Belgium), accusing her of trying to protect German Social Democrat MEPs Matthias Groote and Bernd Lange. Last week, Van Brempt defended herself against this accusation and said that all she was seeking was the most suitable arrangement for hearing the two MEPs (see EUROPE 11617). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)