A political agreement on European tyre labelling was reached yesterday between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission.
The new rules improve and strengthen EU tyre labels enabling European consumers to make better choices and bringing energy savings equivalent to taking 4m cars off EU roads every year.
Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Cañete said: “Energy efficiency first also applies to the way we drive! By switching to the most energy efficient tyres, European citizens can reduce their fuel consumption significantly, saving money and helping the environment. This is the European path to real energy security and climate protection: by being more energy efficient in all areas of our life, we can reduce our energy bills and our dependence on imported and costly energy, as we boost industrial competitiveness, create jobs and render the European economy more sustainable”.
The Commission proposed the new Regulation on tyre labelling on 17 May 2018 as part of the clean mobility package. The new rules make the tyre labels more visible, more future proof and more accurate. They improve enforcement and market surveillance and they update the label scales to optimise the information on the label. The new more modern design will be aligned with that of the well-known EU energy label, while maintaining its original size and pictograms that are well known by consumers.
Following this 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 May 1 2021.
Between 2014 and 2017 energy consumption in road transport increased by 5.6 %, driving up greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector. As the rolling resistance of tyres accounts for 20 to 30% of a vehicle’s fuel consumption, it is vital to decrease this resistance to increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.
To address these issues, the Commission presented, as part of the Low Carbon Mobility package in May 2018, a proposal to update EU Regulation (EC) No 1222/2009 on the labelling of tyres. Tyre labelling forms part of the European Union’s legislation on the energy efficiency of products. This includes ecodesign regulations, which set minimum requirements and energy labelling regulations, providing consumers with information helping them take environment-friendly purchasing decisions. In the case of tyres, the minimum performance requirements are set by the General Safety Regulation 661/2009.
