Local importers of Volkwagen cars have been requested by Transport Malta to provide official information about vehicles that may have outdated emissions systems.

This information would help with the necessary checks, it said.

The authority said it was being regularly updated on the developments and would discuss the way forward in line with established practices throughout the European Union.

Switzerland has banned sales of Volkswagen Group cars with outdated emissions systems in the wake of the test-rigging scandal that started in the United States.

Volkswagen has said the 11 million vehicles worldwide that contain software involved in the emissions-rigging scandal include some five million cars made by its core VW brand.