On December 9, 2019, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced that Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft (Volkswagen AG) was charged with 60 counts of contravening the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999.
These charges include 58 counts of contravening the Act between January 2008 and December 2015, by allegedly unlawfully importing into Canada nearly 128,000 vehicles that did not conform to prescribed vehicle emission standards. The company is also charged with two counts of providing misleading information.
A court appearance is scheduled on December 13, 2019 in the Ontario Court of Justice.
In September 2015, Environment and Climate Change Canada launched an investigation into the importation into Canada of certain models of vehicles allegedly equipped with a prohibited “defeat device”, which in this case, is software that reduces the effectiveness of the emission control system during normal vehicle operation and use.
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s enforcement officers conducted a comprehensive investigation, gathering evidence and information from foreign and domestic sources related to the suspected violations of federal environmental legislation. This involved collecting all relevant information possible, while working within different international legal environments. They then spent months analyzing and preparing the evidence for Public Prosecution Service of Canada review.
For further information on the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, click here.
For further information on Volkswagen AG, click here.
