During a very heated hearing at the European Parliament during the commission of enquiry into the Volkswagen scandal (EMIS) on Thursday 24 November, Ségolène Royal, was extremely critical of the comitology decision-making process and was particularly scathing of the Technical Committee of Motor Vehicles (TCMV). The French minister was in a particularly combative mood and called for a European body to monitor the motor-vehicle market and put an end to diesel as a source of fuel.
Lack of transparency in comitology and inaction from MEPs. Ms Royal referred to this on several occasions: the TCMV on the question of compliance with real driving emissions (RDE) voted on in 2015 (see EUROPE 11421) had taken action without following the instructions of its minister. In response to a question from Dominique Riquet (ALDE, France), the minister stated that if there have been instructions, this did not come from her department, suggesting that other ministers could have short-circuited her action. Ms Royal was very critical, over all, of the comitology decision-making process and noted that they needed to improve the way in which information is conveyed to ministerial levels. In this regard, she indicated that she had “put things in order” in her own administration following the decision by the TCMV. The Minister did not spare anyone on this issue and on a number of occasions directly criticised Parliament’s lack of commitment, which had failed to reverse the decision made during comitology (see EUROPE 11482).
Call for European body and end to diesel. Bolstered by her position as President of the COP 21, the minister also went very much on the offensive on the question of the measures to take on vehicle emissions. On the question of market monitoring, the minister appeared much less timorous than her political group in Parliament and took a clear position in support of a European motor-vehicle market monitoring body effectively putting herself on the same side as the Greens at a political level and was even more radical when she mentioned a European approvals body in this regard. On the question of diesel, the minister was also ambitious and in response to Jens Gieseke (EPP, Germany), the new pro-diesel co-rapporteur - (see EUROPE 11674), she said that they should consider diesel as an energy resource “from the past”.
Call for clarification on article involving defeat devices. On another important point that regularly arises during EMIS (see EUROPE 11648) commission meetings, the minister said that she was in favour of clarifying the article from the regulation on Motor vehicle approval (Article 5, Regulation 715/2007) focusing on requirements and trials and which involves exemptions to the ban on defeat devices. On this subject she indicated that France and Germany would work together to prepare a letter to the European Commission to this end.
Royal commission, “a unique commission in Europe”. The minister appeared more defensive regarding her political action, particularly with regard to the ad hoc commission (not the commission of enquiry as she explained during the hearing) on vehicle emissions following revelations about the concealing of certain data (see EUROPE 11610). Ms Royal therefore pointed out that for the time being, she was the only minister in the EU who had such a protocol for control in place, following the Volkswagen scandal and referred to the Financial Times in this regard, which had published a correction since then.
The French minister’s defence met the expectations of MEPs. Notwithstanding that until the very last moment she did not say that she was coming to address them herself and would send the Secretary of State for the Environment and Transport, Alain Vidalies, instead. Even on the day of the hearing, the minister arrived almost an hour late, having chosen a more “flexible” form of transport (aeroplane) so that she could have more time. The Minister also attended a Parliamentary committee meeting on the COP 21 and COP 22 in France the same day. One parliamentary source sarcastically added “We are hoping that this is at least a regular flight” in reference to the recent controversy surrounding the visit made by Commissioner for the Digital Economy Günter Oettinger, on a private jet to Hungary (see EUROPE 11670). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)