‘France against Mercedes, the summer’s astonishing power struggle’

Published on 5 August 2013 at 09:10

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German carmaker Mercedes has submitted an appeal to the French Council of State, in the wake of the introduction of a ban on some of its models in France.

Paris claims that Mercedes has failed to comply with a European directive, in force since January 1, 2013, which stipulates that vehicle air-conditioning systems must use refrigerants that are more environmentally friendly. The German carmaker has countered that the new generation of coolants catch fire more easily.

For Les Echos

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… the fact that France is the only country to block registrations for the moment has encouraged suspicions of protectionism [...] Although it may be a coincidence, the ban was announced just after Germany blocked negotiations on automobile CO2 emissions targets for 2020.

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