The Belgian Socialist Investigating the Auto Industry
- Van Brempt cites ‘collective blindness’ in Volkswagen scandal
- Belgian heads up ‘dieselgate’ committee in European Parliament
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She thinks the European Union has too many diesel cars, the air in EU cities is too dirty and the future of road transport is electric. Meet Kathleen Van Brempt, head of an EU emissions-investigation panel who insists she has the auto industry’s best interests at heart.
The 46-year-old Belgian Socialist is leading a European Parliament committee set up in December as a response to Volkswagen AG’s cheating on tests of smog-causing emissions. Van Brempt says her goal is to draw common lessons about better EU lawmaking and put more effective rules in place rather than to point fingers at regulators or manufacturers and see heads roll.