A final agreement to compensate Belgian consumers affected by Volkswagen's 'Dieselgate' has been reached, consumer rights organisation Testachats announced on Tuesday.
The agreement follows two rulings issued by the Brussels Court of First Instance on 27 July 2023. Both parties decided not to appeal, concluding a legal process that began in 2016.
In 2015, it was revealed that there were significant discrepancies between emissions test results and actual on-road emissions for EA 189 diesel engines from manufacturer Volkswagen AG. This led to numerous legal and regulatory actions in various countries.
Both the car manufacturer and the consumer organisation in Belgium agreed to abide by the previous rulings and the practical modalities of consumer compensation, according to Testachats. A platform hosted on Testachats' website will allow affected consumers to request compensation.
"The discussions between the parties were lengthy due to the complexity of the issue, but we are pleased to finally announce the closure of this case," said Testachats spokesperson Julie Frère.
The Brussels Court of First Instance ruled that consumers who purchased vehicles equipped with the affected software are entitled to compensation of 5% of the initial purchase price or 5% of the difference between the purchase price and resale price if the vehicle was sold. This applies to Volkswagen, Skoda, Seat, and Audi vehicles with EA 189 engines.
