"That does not mean that bans will be put in place overnight. My goal is and remains that bans never need to be implemented because we can manage to clean the air through other means," Hendricks told journalists.

She said that upgrades to the exhaust cleaning systems of older diesels could make a substantial contribution to reducing pollution and that car owners should be able to expect automakers to pay for such upgrades.

"The problem was caused by carmakers and we should not release them from their responsibility," she said.

(Reporting by Maria Sheahan; Editing by Michelle Martin)

Stocks treated in this article : Peugeot, Renault, Bayerische Motoren Werke, Daimler, Volkswagen