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The European Union has proposed new rules for the regulation of vehicle emissions testing, which would see responsibility for paying the testers taken away from the car makers.
The current system, now widely discredited in the wake of the diesel emissions scandal, sees car maker individually hiring and paying independent laboratories to validate their emissions and fuel consumption tests. The EU says that's a clear conflict of interest, and the system should be changed.
Officials will also have the power to recall any vehicle or model for tests once it's on sale, and will be able to carry out on the road spot checks to ensure compliance.
"To regain customers' trust in this important industry, we need to tighten the rules but also ensure they are effectively observed," said Jyrki Katainen, the European Commission's vice-president for jobs, growth, investment and competitiveness.
However, the new proposals are already coming under fire, with critics saying that if the EU was unready to face down German lobbying over emissions before, it won't have the strength to do so now. Others are concerned that Euro-skeptic groups will see the new proposals as a diminution of sovereignty.
Meanwhile, Greg Archer of environmental pressure group Transport and Environment said that the proposals, while welcome, lack the sort of regulatory power that is needed to enforce the rules properly: "This good proposal addresses many flaws in the current car testing system but lacks teeth. The principal reason why Volkswagen managed to get away with cheating in Europe was the lack of independence of national authorities, which were compromised by their cosy relationship with carmakers. Without the threat of future EU sanctions, it will be mission impossible to break the strong bond between national regulators and their carmakers that has protected the industry but at the cost of higher emissions."