BERLIN (AP) — A German court has opened proceedings in a landmark case in which some 470,000 consumers aim to establish a right to compensation from automaker Volkswagen for cars affected by the company's diesel emissions scandal.

The case, brought by the Federation of German Consumer Organizations and joined by hundreds of thousands of diesel owners, uses rules enacted last year allowing a form of class-action suit.

The new system was prompted in part by the scandal over Volkswagen's use of software to turn emissions controls off when vehicles weren't being tested, which was discovered in 2015.

News agency dpa reported that the Braunschweig state court declared the suit admissible as proceedings opened Monday, but Judge Michael Neef said the court will have to establish whether vehicle owners suffered any actual damages.