ETRMA calls for ‘holistic approach’ as EU moves to tackle road particle emissions

Brussels – The European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA) has called for an ‘holistic approach’ to tackling road emissions after the European Commission published proposals for new standards.

Issued 10 Nov, the EC's proposed 'Euro 7' regulation for road vehicles, aims to extend emission rules, for the first time, from exhaust emissions to also cover particles from brakes and tires.

The package is being billed as an important element of the EU’s Green Deal ambitions, towards achieving climate neutrality and improving air quality.

In its response, the ETRMA said it "fully supported" the goal of delivering cleaner mobility but called for an approach that will consider all aspects of road particle emissions.

“In addition to tire design, many other factors are important to tackling tire abrasion,” explained the association's secretary general Fazilet Cinaralp.

According to the ETRMA leader, these factors include road surface and layout, weather, driver behaviour, and vehicle characteristics – particularly the impact of electric vehicles.

In this perspective, she said, the industry supports “multi-stakeholder efforts to achieve science-based solutions”, as championed by the European Tyre and Road Wear Particles (TRWP) platform.

Furthermore, Cinaralp called for greater coordination between the EU and United Nations agencies to develop an “essential” UN-validated test method, before tire abrasion limits can be defined.

Here, ETRMA noted the various studies being carried out by the EU tire industry to provide solutions that mitigate tire abrasion. The industry, it noted, has already provided a definition of "a reliable, replicable and representative test method."