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A European Parliament panel is chastising European authorities and automakers for failing to ensure that laws on diesel emissions were upheld.

The investigating committee was set up after it emerged in late 2015 that Germany's Volkswagen had installed software that allowed cars to cheat on emissions tests. The deceit first was detected in the United States, but it's had global implications.

Panel member Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy said after the committee wrapped up its work Tuesday that one of its main conclusions was that "Dieselgate could have been avoided if member states and the European Commission had simply followed the European law."

The committee has accused France, Italy and Spain among others of trying to slow down the introduction of tougher emissions tests.

It is calling for much-improved oversight in the future.