(Reuters) – BERLIN, July 8 (Reuters) – Volkswagen (VOWG p.DE) said on Thursday that it was considering legal action in response to an EU antitrust punishment, claiming that the penalty was based on technical discussions about emissions technology with other carmakers, and that the penalty established a problematic precedent. “The Commission is venturing into new legal ground by treating technological cooperation as an antitrust breach for the first time,” the German automaker stated after receiving a sentence of 502 million euros ($593 million). “Furthermore, it is levying sanctions,” Volkswagen continued in a statement, “despite the fact that the content of the conversations was never implemented and no customers were harmed as a result.” Volkswagen demanded more specific guidelines: “The large fines levied in this case highlight the need for more comprehensive guidance from the Commission to guarantee that legal ambiguity does not stifle European innovation,” it stated. (1 dollar = 0.8459 euros) Alexander Huebner and Douglas Busvine contributed reporting.
Riham Alkousaa edited the piece.
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