Consumers will soon be better informed when choosing new tyres for their cars. The Council today adopted a regulation on new rules on the labelling of tyres with respect to parameters such as fuel efficiency, wet grip and noise. The aim of the regulation is to make labels more visible and to give consumers more information to enable them to choose safer, more fuel efficient and quieter tyres. The regulation still needs to be formally adopted by the European Parliament.
The new labels are a tangible benefit for consumers all over Europe and will provide more information on fuel consumption efficiency, safety and external noise. These rules will also have an impact on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Tomislav Ćorić, Minister of Environment and Energy of Croatia and chair of the Council
The regulation introduces a number of important changes to previous rules. The labels will become more visible and clearer for consumers thanks to new obligations on how to display them and to the deletion of unused performance classes in the scale. Icons for snow and ice grip will be added, and the label’s design will be updated. As any other category of tyres, re-treaded tyres are also covered by the regulation. Requirements for re-treaded tyres will apply once a suitable testing method to measure the performance of such tyres is available. The regulation also includes provisions for adding parameters on mileage and abrasion once suitable testing methods are available. This is expected to help reduce the amount of microplastics getting into the environment due to tyre abrasion. Tyres for trucks and buses will in future also have to carry the label.
Background
The tyre labelling system is aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and noise pollution in the transport sector and increasing road safety. It will enable consumers to obtain more relevant and comparable information on fuel efficiency, safety and noise and to take cost-effective and environment-friendly purchasing decisions when purchasing new tyres. Tyres, mainly because of their rolling resistance, account for 20-30% of a vehicle’s fuel consumption. A reduction in their rolling resistance therefore contributes to lowering emissions while also providing cost savings to consumers thanks to lower fuel consumption.
The revised regulation was proposed by the Commission in May 2018. A provisional agreement between the European Parliament and the Council was found on 13 November 2019.
Next Steps
Today’s decision means that the Council has adopted its position at first reading. The regulation now needs to be adopted by the European Parliament at second reading before being published in the Official Journal.
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