On February 3, 2016, the European Parliament supported a compromise deal that allows vehicles to continue to pollute more than the official limits. This disregards the call for stricter reform that followed the Volkswagen emissions-test cheating scandal. In September, Volkswagen admitted that it cheated on U.S. diesel emissions tests, which caused outrage in Europe where approximately half of the vehicles run on diesel. The Parliament's vote was almost blocked by opponents who viewed it as too lenient, but they narrowly missed the votes needed. The vote comes on the heels of efforts by the European Commission to close the gap between laboratory testing of new vehicles and what happens in the real world where toxic emissions are more than seven times the official limits. The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association argued that the Commission’s plans to limit emissions could threaten current automobile technology and jeopardize jobs. Environmentally conscious lawmakers wanted to reject the compromise, stating that it was illegal and weakened the existing agreed limits. For the full story, see http://news.mongabay.com/2016/01/international-embargo-on-exports-of-madagascars-precious-woods-extended/