Car importers claim'big market distortion'

The Association of Car Importers and 21 car importers yesterday filed a judicial protest claiming that, in allowing the untested importation of second hand cars from outside Europe, the authorities were creating a "big market distortion".

The association and the companies filed the protest against the Transport Authority, the Standards Authority, the Minister for Roads and Development, the Minister of Competitiveness and the Malta Environment and Planning Authority.

They claimed that the authorities were allowing second hand cars to be imported, from outside Europe, and without testing them to ensure they conformed with the standards imposed on new vehicles.

Such actions were illegal as they went against European principles and regulations as outlined in several directives.

The actions also discriminated between new imported vehicles and second hand imported vehicles and led to a market division. As a result, a large part of the imported cars do not attain the standards imposed by the European Union to the detriment of people's health and the environment.

The association and the companies held the authorities liable in damages.

Lawyer Ian Refalo signed the protest.