HANNOVER (dpa-AFX) - The Hanover public prosecutor's office has imposed a fine of 100 million euros on automotive supplier Continental in connection with emissions manipulation. The proceedings for a negligent breach of supervisory duties were directed against Continental AG and other companies in the corporation, as the prosecution authorities announced in Hanover on Thursday. This had previously been reported by "Wirtschaftswoche".

The corporation announced that it would waive its right to appeal. It is in the interests of the company for the proceedings to be brought to an end. For the 2024 financial year, the fine will not lead to any significant additional burden on earnings due to the provision made. According to the public prosecutor's office, the payment is to be made within six weeks to the state of Lower Saxony, which is the recipient of the fine under the law.

According to the investigators, more than twelve million engine control units or the corresponding software were delivered by the former Continental drive division to domestic and foreign car manufacturers from mid-2007, including the Volkswagen Group for the EA 189 diesel engine. According to the public prosecutor's office, the software versions contained illegal strategies, at least in part.

However, the car manufacturers used the corresponding engine control units in their vehicles, obtained regulatory approvals and marketed them. According to the prosecutors, the equipped vehicles emitted more nitrogen oxides during normal driving than was permitted under the regulatory requirements.

The amount of the fine was made up of a so-called punishment component and a capping component. Accordingly, the administrative offense was punished with a total of 5 million euros. The remaining 95 million euros are to be used to cover the economic benefits or expenses saved. The company's cooperation was taken into account when determining the amount. The proceedings against the companies concerned have been legally concluded with payment, but the public prosecutor's office emphasized that the criminal investigations against former Conti employees are not affected by this.

After the emissions scandal at Volkswagen came to light in 2015, the public prosecutor's office in Braunschweig imposed a fine of one billion euros on the Wolfsburg-based company in 2018 to punish breaches of supervisory duties there. This money also went to the state of Lower Saxony at the time. Shortly afterwards, the VW subsidiary Audi was fined 800 million euros by the Munich public prosecutor's office. In Stuttgart, the VW subsidiary Porsche was fined 535 million euros. Daimler also received a fine of around 870 million euros from the public prosecutor's office there in the wake of the diesel scandal./bch/DP/jha