Emission parts firm hits back against rumours following criminal prosecution

European Exhaust and Catalyst pleads guilty to incorrectly labelled DPFs and sets record straight following misreports

Emission parts firm hits back against rumours following criminal prosecution
Image: Bigstock.

European Exhaust and Catalyst Ltd has spoken out to correct what it has described as aftermarket rumours after it was found to be supplying products which fail to meet the required standards.

The case against European Exhaust and Catalyst (EEC), which took place at Portsmouth Magistrates Court and concluded on Monday 28 October, resulted in a criminal conviction for the company and a £3,000 fine.

The court also ordered the company to pay costs totalling £10,460 and a statutory surcharge of £170.

The case was previously misreported in the DVSA’s original press release, which incorrectly stated that it resulted in criminal convictions for its directors.

An EEC spokesperson said: “The DVSA has been making test purchases of catalytic converters and diesel particulate filters (DPF) produced by EEC and other UK manufacturers.

“The company has been fined, not the directors as previously misreported, by Portsmouth Magistrates Court following this investigation.

Incorrect labelling

“We were charged with, and pleaded guilty to, supplying three DPF parts which had been incorrectly labelled.”

“When calculating the fine, the judge had to consider whether it was intentional by EEC and what the resulting environmental effect would be.

“This was classified at the lowest level of offence and was commented on by the judge presiding as negligent as opposed to any deliberate, wilful or reckless intent, and as such the lowest fine was levied.

“This was a labelling contravention that was not relevant to the functionality of the product.

“The relevant EC and UNECE Regulations require that the physical product must be labelled.”

Parts manufacturers and distributers must ensure their parts meet the necessary standards and are correctly marked and approved for the vehicles or engine types that they are intended for.

EEC has stressed that it never intended to mislead its customers by labelling the packaging and not the part itself.

No evidence of parts failure

The judge told the court that these were minor labelling offences and that there was no evidence to indicate that the unmarked units would have failed if fitted to vehicles.

EEC type approved products and manufacturing processes are annually audited and tested for compliance.

The company added: “As the majority of EEC products are bagged or boxed, we felt labels would be more visible on the packaging.

“All DPF and catalytic converter products are now labelled twice which complies with the regulations, satisfies the DVSA and was commended by the judge.”

DVSA market surveillance unit

The DVSA’s market surveillance unit, which led the case against EEC, ensures automotive products made available in the UK meet approval specifications.

DVSA head of vehicle engineering, Neil Barlow said: “DVSA’s priority is to protect everyone from unsafe vehicles and make sure they are compliant with the required emissions standards.

“Motorists expect that replacement parts available on the aftermarket meet the right specifications for their car.

“This is the first successful prosecution of its kind.

“We hope it sends a clear message to other parts manufacturers and distributers that they must sell their products in line with the law or face prosecution.”

EEC expects more convictions will be made elsewhere in the aftermarket as the DVSA continues its investigations across the market.

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