The European Union's consumer affairs chief said Volkswagen's failure to compensate EU-based customers hit by the diesel cheating scandal has made her feel "desperate."
Vera Jourova vowed to keep pushing for the carmaker to offset the burdens caused by its cheating, saying that VW's reluctance to go beyond a commitment to provide repairs and more information about vehicles affected is tormenting her.
"I tried to explain to Volkswagen that at the end, it will be a win-win if they go for such a gesture," Jourova told Bloomberg in an interview in her Brussels office Friday. "Nothing yet" has happened on this front, and the Czech commissioner says she "sometimes feels desperate about this."
VW's cheating, which was uncovered in the U.S. and led Germany to order an EU-wide recall of 8.5 million Volkswagen vehicles, has left policymakers in Europe scrambling to enforce emissions regulations.
Jourova's efforts to push the carmaker into compensating European consumers, including extending warranties, have been hampered by EU rules that turn most enforcement powers over to individual countries.
VW is working to quickly retrofit affected cars, company spokesman Nicolai Laude said in an emailed statement. Several million vehicles have been updated in Europe, he said.