Researchers will look at how the health of the population in the 28 EU member states, plus Switzerland, has been affected by excess emissions from diesel cars. For years, carmakers have produced diesel passenger cars that comply with EU emissions limits in the official laboratory test, [...] while producing much more nitrogen dioxide (NOx) emissions on the road. They claim this is allowed because of an exception in EU law... A VW spokesman questioned the “basic assumption of the study” that the EU limit of 180 milligram of NOx per kilometre “applies to all road trips”... The idea that the EU law allows for diesel cars to be consistently emitting significantly more than the EU limit has been disputed by the European Commission and MEPs time again in public discussions with carmakers.