Senior members of the German government have warned EU member states that German car makers could scale back or scrap production plans in their countries unless they support weakened carbon emissions rules, according to diplomatic sources. Germany has stepped up the pressure on them to water down limits on vehicle emissions to protect the country’s mighty car industry, particularly luxury makers such as BMW and Daimler. The sources added that some calls warning EU member states of possible consequences have come from members of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s office. --Paul Milligan, Daily Mail, 19 June 2013