ETRMA backs revised EU tire labelling text

Brussels – The European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA) has welcomed a text agreed by European regulators –  Parliament, Council and Commission – for a revision of EU tire labelling regulations.

The new text, said ETRMA in a 25 Nov statement, addresses the shortcomings of the existing regulation: the lack of market uptake of high-graded tires and low market surveillance by EU members.

“Six years after the tire label’s implementation, ETRMA supports the commitment and efforts by the European Institutions to pursue a new Tyre Labelling Regulation,” said the ETRMA statement.

According to ETRMA, the new text aims to improve surveillance through “sanctions and penalties”, while increasing the visibility of the label and introducing stronger obligations of member states. 

In addition, a new feature of “product information database” is expected to strengthen the information chain between tire manufacturers and authorities.

The new labels also include QR codes as well as the logos indicating if the tire is for use in snow/ice conditions, according to ETRMA.

“The review is a positive step towards an ambitious, forward-looking Tyre Labelling Regulation,” said ETRMA secretary general, Fazilet Cinaralp. 

The tire label, she went on to say, creates healthy competition between manufacturers “to produce the highest performing tire and informing consumers.”

She also voiced ETRMA’s support to a European Commission’s decision to develop “a suitable and reliable test method" to measure tire tread abrasion before assessing the feasibility of adding this information to the tire label. 

This process, Cinaralp noted, is “still in its infancy” and needs to be completed before any measure can be introduced in this, or any other, regulation.

“The European tire industry is fully engaged in the environmental challenges of tires including the need for development of a reliable test method to measure abrasion performances, a work already initiated by the industry,” she emphasised.

Our ambitions are high, and we remain devoted to provide technical solutions that respond to societal needs, Cinaralp concluded.

The European Parliament, the Council and the Commission agreed on the text of the updated European Tire Labelling regulation on 13 Nov.

The regulation, proposed by the Commission in May 2018, aims to make labels “more visible, more future proof and more accurate.” 

Following the political agreement, the text of the regulation will have to be formally approved by the European Parliament and the Council. 

Once endorsed by both co-legislators "in the coming months", the updated regulation will be published in the Official Journal of the Union and will enter into force 20 days after publication. 

The new regulation will start to apply on 1 May 2021.

The tire label is an important instrument to inform both consumers and professional users on the fuel efficiency, wet grip and external rolling noise performance of the individual tire.

A recent assessment by the European Commission, however, has indicated a slow market uptake of high-grade tires, due in part to limited awareness surrounding the label.