This report presents the results of the assessment of the need to review Regulation (EC) No 1222/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the labelling of tyres with respect to fuel efficiency and other essential parameters.

The review study - and the underlying interviews with tyre suppliers, distributors (dealers) market surveillance authorities, consumer organisations and environmental NGOs - has pointed to a number of issues that could improve the Regulation and its implementation.

Market development : the report noted that a large potential for further fuel savings exists, and road safety and rolling noise aspects could also be further improved. The Tyre Labelling Regulation applied since November 2012. For 'fuel efficiency' and 'wet grip', the market showed between 2013 and 2015 a positive trend towards better performing tyres, partly due to the impact of the label. This trend was less pronounced for 'external rolling noise' however.

For external rolling noise there was no real improvement from 2013 to 2015, mainly as industry has put more focus on improving the other parameters.

User awareness and understanding of the label : the consumer survey carried out as part of the study to support the review showed that more than half of car owners were not aware of the tyre label . Consumers’ comprehension of the tyre label is generally good. When shown the label, consumers were able to understand the information given even though they were not familiar with it beforehand.

The survey showed that safety is the prevailing concern for consumers when purchasing tyres.

Awareness campaigns could include a reference to the fuel savings calculator on the EU Commission’s website that lets end-users calculate their potential fuel savings from tyres. The awareness campaigns could be run at national level by Member State authorities, at EU level by the Commission, or both. It would be an advantage to include tyre suppliers and distributors in the campaigns in order to reach end-users more effectively.

They should also include this aspect in their tenders for service contracts in accordance with the Energy Efficiency Directive 2012/27/EU .

Accuracy of information, improvement of pre-sale information : in general, consumers find the label useful and clear. Many consumers indicated that more market control and more sanctions for non-compliance would increase their confidence. Consumers often do not see the tyre, and hence not the label either, before purchasing it. Moreover, since tyre performance deteriorates with ageing , even on the shelf, it could be considered to inform the consumer on the manufacturing date, for instance in the product information sheet, providing also indications on the average performance degradation that can be expected.

The share of tyre purchases on the internet is increasing. It is thus becoming increasingly important to show the label and the relevant information when tyres are offered for sale online.

The inclusion of snow and ice performance in the labelling scheme would address a safety concern and would provide more complete information to consumers.

There is scope for improving the clarity, accuracy, reliability and representativeness of the label and for better enforcement by Member States. For example, this could be done by refining measurement tests, reinforcing market surveillance and considering other options.

The Commission considered that addressing the issues identified in this report could drive the market towards better-performing tyres.

If by 2030, all tyre types were to reach fuel efficiency class B (instead of class C, as currently predicted), the potential energy savings could be at the level of 256 PJ (or 6.1 Mtoe) annually in 2030, corresponding to 18.6 Mton CO2 emission savings per year.

The Commission will investigate further the issues addressed in this report and may propose a revised Tyre Labelling Regulation in due course.

PURPOSE: to increase the safety and the economic and environmental efficiency of road transport by promoting fuel-efficient and safe tyres with low noise levels.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EC) No 1222/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the labelling of tyres with respect to fuel efficiency and other essential parameters.

CONTENT: the Council adopted a regulation on the labelling of tyres with respect to fuel efficiency and other essential parameters.

This regulation is in line with the revised Commission strategy on CO2 emissions from passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, which sets a CO2 target to be achieved through reductions in car emissions, including the promotion of fuel-efficient tyres.

The regulation establishes a framework for the provision of harmonised information on tyre parameters, such as rolling resistance, wet grip and external rolling noise , thus allowing consumers to make an informed choice when purchasing tyres, since a label on tyres will be displayed at the point of sale, as well as in technical promotional material. Tyres, mainly because of their rolling resistance, account for 20 % to 30 % of the fuel consumption of vehicles. A reduction of the rolling resistance of tyres may therefore contribute significantly to the energy efficiency of road transport and thus to the reduction of emissions.

Directed at the demand side, this regulation on tyre labelling will complement the type-approval legislation on tyres which addresses the supply side by means of minimum requirements. The minimum requirements governing rolling resistance, wet grip and external rolling noise laid down in Regulation (EC) No 661/2009 on the general safety of motor vehicles will guarantee a standard level of tyre quality, while further improvements beyond these levels will be driven by the tyre labelling scheme.

This regulation shall apply to C1, C2 and C3 tyres . Its main provisions are as follows:

Display of the label : suppliers shall ensure that C1 and C2 tyres, which are delivered to distributors or end-users, are: (a) equipped with a sticker on the tyre tread displaying a label indicating the fuel efficiency class , the external rolling noise class and measured value and, where applicable, the wet grip class, or (b) for each batch of one or more identical tyres delivered, accompanied by a label in printed format indicating the fuel efficiency class, the external rolling noise class and measured value and, where applicable, the wet grip class. The format of the sticker and the label shall be as prescribed in Annex II.

Suppliers shall state the fuel efficiency class, the external rolling noise class and measured value and, where applicable, the wet grip class, of C1, C2 and C3 tyres in technical promotional material , including on their websites, as set out in Annex I, in the order specified in Annex III.

Responsibilities of vehicle suppliers : where end users are offered a choice at the point of sale between different tyres to be fitted on a new vehicle which they are intending to acquire, vehicle suppliers and distributors shall, before the sale, provide them with information, for each of the tyres offered. This information shall be included at least in the technical promotional material.

Harmonised testing methods : the information to be provided under this regulation on the fuel efficiency class, the external rolling noise class and measured value, and the wet grip class of tyres shall be obtained by applying the harmonised testing methods referred to in Annex I of the regulation.

Internal market : where the requirements of this Regulation are complied with, Member States shall neither prohibit nor restrict the making available on the market of the tyres on grounds of product information. Unless they have evidence to the contrary, Member States shall consider that labels and product information comply with this Regulation.

Market surveillance : a reference to Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 on market surveillance is introduced in the regulation as suggested in the Commission amended proposal in response to the Parliament's request for reinforced market surveillance rules.

Review : the Commission shall assess the need to review this Regulation, taking into account, inter alia: (a) the effectiveness of the label in terms of end-user awareness; (b) whether the labelling scheme should be extended to include retreaded tyres; (c) whether new tyre parameters, such as mileage, should be introduced; (d) the information on tyre parameters provided by vehicle suppliers and distributors to end-users. The Commission shall present the result of this assessment to the European Parliament and the Council no later than 1 March 2016, and, if appropriate, submit proposals to the European Parliament and to the Council.

Transitional provision : Parliament and Council agreed to exempt tyres produced before July 2012 from the labelling requirements.

Promotion of low noise tyres (annex II) : a classification of external rolling noise is added on the label in order to facilitate easy recognition of low noise tyres, in addition to the display of the external rolling noise measured value in decibels.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 11/01/2010.

APPLICATION: from 01/11/2012.

The European Parliament adopted, unamended under the codecision procedure, the Council common position for adopting a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the labelling of tyres with respect to fuel efficiency and other essential parameters.

Parliament takes note of the Commission statement annexed to the legislative resolution. According to the declaration, “the Commission supports the use of Community instruments such as the Intelligent Energy-Europe Programme to contribute to initiatives that raise end-users" awareness of the benefits of tyre labelling. By June 2012, the Commission will make available, in particular to consumer organisations and tyre manufacturers on its ec.europa website, information explaining each of the components of the tyre label and a harmonised fuel savings calculator”.

The Commission considers that the common position meets the aims of the Commission's initial proposal. The Commission therefore supports the text.

The negotiated Common Position is the result of inter-institutional negotiations as agreed at the final trialogue of 1 October 2009.

The main subjects of negotiation on which an agreement was reached are as follows:

Format of the proposal : the proposal is changed from a Directive into a Regulation on request of Parliament.

Advertising requirements : the definition of technical promotional literature is reworded in order to make clear that it does not include media advertising in general.

Display of the label : flexibility is introduced with regards to the display of the label. While Commission proposed that the label is mandatorily displayed at the point of sale by means of a sticker on each tyre, the negotiated amendment of Council/Parliament foresees that the label may be either displayed by means of a sticker on each tyre as proposed by the Commission or distributed in one printed copy per each batch of one or more identical tyres delivered at the point of sale; in that case it is requested in article 5 that the distributors show the printed label to the end-users before the sale of the tyre(s) at the point of sale.

Responsibilities of vehicle suppliers : the general obligation for vehicle producers to display the classification of tyres fitted on new vehicles is removed. The information requirement, under the agreement, will apply only to those tyres offered as option to end-users.

Market surveillance : a reference to Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 on market surveillance is introduced in as suggested in the Commission amended proposal in response to the Parliament's request for reinforced market surveillance rules.

Review clause : the review clause is shortened from 5 years in the original proposal to 40 months in order to assess the effectiveness and visibility of the labelling scheme.

Transitional provision : European Parliament and Council agreed to exempt tyres produced before July 2012 from the labelling requirements.

Promotion of low noise tyres (annex II) : a classification of external rolling noise is added on the label in order to facilitate easy recognition of low noise tyres, in addition to the display of the external rolling noise measured value in decibels.

Website on tyre labelling information and harmonised fuel saving calculator : in order to facilitate agreement between the institutions, the Commission agreed to make the following statement at the Parliament's plenary session immediately before the final adoption of the proposal for a Regulation:

"The Commission supports the use of Community instruments such as the Intelligent Energy-Europe Programme to contribute to initiatives that raise end-users’ awareness of the benefits of tyre labelling. By June 2012, the Commission will make available, in particular to consumer organisations and tyre manufacturers on its ec.europa website, information explaining each of the components of the tyre label and a harmonised fuel savings calculator".

The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy adopted the recommendation for second reading by Ivo BELET (EPP, BE) approving unamended, under the second reading of the codecision procedure, the Council’s common position on the labelling of tyres with respect to fuel efficiency and other essential parameters.

The Council adopted unanimously its common position with a view to the adoption of a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on labelling of tyres with respect to fuel efficiency and other essential parameters.

Concerning the 42 amendments adopted by the European Parliament, the Council has followed the Commission in accepting 28 amendments in part or in their entirety.

With respect to Parliament concerns regarding the fuel savings calculator and Commission website (4 amendments), which should help to ensure proper visibility and comprehension of the proposed labelling scheme for tyres, the intention is to have them addressed by a statement by the Commission when the legislative act is adopted. The Council also rejected 4 amendments on grounds of substance and/or of form.

Regarding the European Parliament amendments where the Council has deviated from the Commission position, the Council has accepted 4 amendments on the following grounds:

· a recital encourages tyre manufactures to optimise all parameters beyond the standards already achieved;

· a new recital encourages Member States to strive to refrain from measures that impose unjustified, bureaucratic and unwieldy obligations on SMEs;

· in Article 4 (responsibilities of tyre suppliers) tyre suppliers should be given a choice between a sticker on each tyre and a label to be displayed. In that case it is requested in article 5 (responsibilities of tyre distributors) that the distributors show the printed label to the end-users before the sale of the tyre(s) at the point of sale. In addition, the Commission is called upon in article 14 (review) to assess in no less than 40 months whether the option of a label was as effective as that of a sticker on each tyre in contributing to the objectives of this Regulation;

· in Annex II the label shall provide information on external rolling noise class in order to facilitate easy recognition of low noise tyres, in addition to the display of the external rolling noise measured value.

The Council has rejected 4 amendments on the following grounds:

· 'Rolling resistance coefficient' is problematic to measure and this parameter does not appear relevant for the end-user's choice;

· the aim of this regulation is clearly set out in Article 1, which is to establish a framework for the provision of harmonised information on tyre parameters. Article 9 (1) requires that Member States shall neither prohibit, nor restrict the making available on the market of tyres on grounds of product information. Thus, this Regulation does not prejudice Regulation (EC) No 661/2009, which sets minimum requirements for type approval of products for placement on the EU market;

· compliance requirements are covered by Art. 12 'Enforcement'.

Regarding two amendments, some of the proposed information disclosure requirements in Article 6 (responsibilities of car suppliers and car distributors) could mislead or confuse the end-users. The proper importance should be placed on the overall performance of the car rather than of its individual components.

Thus, the Council proposed to accept information disclosure requirements only in the cases where end users are offered a choice at the point of sale between different tyres for fitting on a new vehicle.

Lastly, the Council shares the European Parliament’s opinion that Articles 4 and 5 (responsibilities of tyre suppliers and tyre distributors) shall not apply to tyres produced before 1 July 2012, as suggested in a new article 15 on 'Transitional provisions'.

The Council adopted unanimously its common position with a view to the adoption of a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on labelling of tyres with respect to fuel efficiency and other essential parameters.

Concerning the 42 amendments adopted by the European Parliament, the Council has followed the Commission in accepting 28 amendments in part or in their entirety.

With respect to Parliament concerns regarding the fuel savings calculator and Commission website (4 amendments), which should help to ensure proper visibility and comprehension of the proposed labelling scheme for tyres, the intention is to have them addressed by a statement by the Commission when the legislative act is adopted. The Council also rejected 4 amendments on grounds of substance and/or of form.

Regarding the European Parliament amendments where the Council has deviated from the Commission position, the Council has accepted 4 amendments on the following grounds:

· a recital encourages tyre manufactures to optimise all parameters beyond the standards already achieved;

· a new recital encourages Member States to strive to refrain from measures that impose unjustified, bureaucratic and unwieldy obligations on SMEs;

· in Article 4 (responsibilities of tyre suppliers) tyre suppliers should be given a choice between a sticker on each tyre and a label to be displayed. In that case it is requested in article 5 (responsibilities of tyre distributors) that the distributors show the printed label to the end-users before the sale of the tyre(s) at the point of sale. In addition, the Commission is called upon in article 14 (review) to assess in no less than 40 months whether the option of a label was as effective as that of a sticker on each tyre in contributing to the objectives of this Regulation;

· in Annex II the label shall provide information on external rolling noise class in order to facilitate easy recognition of low noise tyres, in addition to the display of the external rolling noise measured value.

The Council has rejected 4 amendments on the following grounds:

· 'Rolling resistance coefficient' is problematic to measure and this parameter does not appear relevant for the end-user's choice;

· the aim of this regulation is clearly set out in Article 1, which is to establish a framework for the provision of harmonised information on tyre parameters. Article 9 (1) requires that Member States shall neither prohibit, nor restrict the making available on the market of tyres on grounds of product information. Thus, this Regulation does not prejudice Regulation (EC) No 661/2009, which sets minimum requirements for type approval of products for placement on the EU market;

· compliance requirements are covered by Art. 12 'Enforcement'.

Regarding two amendments, some of the proposed information disclosure requirements in Article 6 (responsibilities of car suppliers and car distributors) could mislead or confuse the end-users. The proper importance should be placed on the overall performance of the car rather than of its individual components.

Thus, the Council proposed to accept information disclosure requirements only in the cases where end users are offered a choice at the point of sale between different tyres for fitting on a new vehicle.

Lastly, the Council shares the European Parliament’s opinion that Articles 4 and 5 (responsibilities of tyre suppliers and tyre distributors) shall not apply to tyres produced before 1 July 2012, as suggested in a new article 15 on 'Transitional provisions'.

The Commission’s amended proposal incorporates the majority of amendments proposed by the European Parliament at its first reading, along with technical improvements that are necessary for changing the format from a Directive into a Regulation .

The main amendments of the proposal are as follows:

Format of the proposal : this has been changed from a Directive to a Regulation. Taking into account that a Regulation will reduce transposal costs and ensure that the application date of the labelling scheme applies to all stakeholders at the same time, the Commission acknowledges this change.

Scope of application and other general provisions

Aim and subject matter : the aim of the proposal has been clarified. It aims to promote wet grip and external rolling noise in addition to fuel efficiency which is in line with the approach of the entire labelling scheme. The Commission therefore accepts this amendment in full. Remove tyre stored from the definition of 'point of sale' : i t is acceptable to clarify the wording to indicate that those stocks, where tyres are not offered for sale to end-users (such as storage places of suppliers) are not included in the definition of point of sale. The Commission however deems that it is crucial that those tyres stored at the point of sale to end-users (i.e. tyres stored by the distributors) bear a label. This will ensure maximum visibility of the labelling scheme and avoid situations where only the best tyres are displayed with a label in the show room (if there is one). The latter situation would undermine the whole effectiveness of the scheme which is based on the obligation for suppliers to display the classes of all tyres including those poorly rated. Thus, the Commission accepts this amendment in part and with redrafting in order keep tyre stored into the definition of point of sale but clarify that tyre stored by suppliers are not included. Reduce the scope of the definition of technical promotion literature : an amendment r educes the scope of the definition of technical promotional literature (the list of examples of 'technical promotional literature' becomes a closed list) and excludes 'media advertising' from such definition. The Commission believes that such exclusion of 'media advertising' should be removed for clarity sake since no definition of 'media advertising' is provided and leaflets and suppliers' website can be considered as 'media advertising'. In addition, the initial wording of the proposal already makes it clear that only the marketing tools describing the specific parameters of a tyre are considered to be technical promotional literature. It is therefore the content of information displayed by the marketing tool and not the tool itself that is relevant to determine what is considered as technical promotional literature.

Responsibilities of suppliers and distributors

Explanation of the label to end-users : an amendment requires the provision of supplementary standardised information to end-users explaining the components of the label. The Commission agrees with the principle. As laid down in point 3 (i) of Annex III, suppliers are requested to provide an explanation of the pictograms printed on the label. Additional information requirements such as a fuel savings calculator and EU website appear however disproportionate. An EU wide website and fuel savings calculator would be extremely costly to monitor and burdensome for a limited effectiveness. It would also raise issues about updating and liability of data provided. Consumer information should be better addressed at national level. Thus, the amendment is accepted in part and with redrafting of a new recital. Responsibilities of tyre suppliers : suppliers are also required to provide the measured rolling resistance coefficient on technical promotional literature for C2 and C3 tyres. Since it will not imply extra burden or costs for the industry, the Commission can accept this amendment in full. Another amendment requires suppliers to declare in a publicly available database the rolling resistance coefficient, wet grip index and external rolling noise emissions of the tyres as measured at type approval. The measured values declared on the label will not necessarily be the same as the type approved values. In addition, the Commission does not support the setting of a publicly available database. The Commission therefore accepts that the declared rolling resistance coefficient, wet grip index and external rolling noise emissions are made public on the supplier's website but without specifications whether these values are from the type approval procedure or not. Responsibilities of tyre distributors : distributors are required to give 'an explanatory version of the label' to end-users 'on or with' the bill in addition to the information required by the current Article 5 (3). The Commission considers that this 'explanatory information on the label' (i.e. information given after the purchasing decision of the end-user) would be of limited use and should not be required in view to reduce to a minimum the burden on distributors. The Commission however accepts the proposed wording 'on or with' the bill which gives more flexibility to distributors on the way they will comply with Article 5 (3).

Compliance with information requirements

Testing methods : the testing methods shall provide end-users with reliable and reproducible information. While the Commission fully shares this view, the wording needs redrafting to be in line with existing labelling initiatives. An amendment is introduced for that purpose. Market surveillance and penalties : the provisions on market surveillance and penalties have been reinforced. The Commission takes note that this is a major concern of the stakeholders. The Commission however cannot accept the wording which makes a distinction between sanctions and penalties. The term 'penalty' in EU law already includes administrative and criminal penalties. Furthermore, Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 setting out the requirements for accreditation and market surveillance relating to the marketing of products and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 339/93 already sets the rules applicable for market surveillance as from 1 January 2010. Since Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 sets very precise rules on market surveillance and penalties which would address the intention of the amendments referred above, it is suggested to introduce a reference to this Regulation in Recital 21 and in a new Article 12 on enforcement. The current Article 12 on penalties is deleted as it becomes redundant with Article 41 of that Regulation.

Comitology and Review

Snow and Nordic winter tyres : certain amendments introduce the possibility in comitology to adapt the labelling scheme to the technical specificities of snow and Nordic winter tyres. Introduction of new parameters on the label : t he deletion of Article 11 (2) removes the possibility to add new parameters on the label through the comitology procedure which the Commission accepts. Timing and scope of the review : two amendments list some of the elements to be considered in the review of the proposal and require that this review takes place after three years of the proposal's entry into force instead of the five years initially proposed. The list is acceptable in principle for the Commission but 'three years' is too early for a review. A labelling scheme takes in average eight years to fully impact market transformation; in three years, not all end-users will have changed their tyres even once. In addition, the comitology procedure in Article 11 already gives the room for adaptation of the labelling scheme to technological changes if necessary.

Date of application

Early implementation : stakeholders should be encouraged to label tyres before the mandatory application date of the proposal. Nothing in the current text forbids placing tyres on the market with the label before its date of application. The Commission therefore accepts this amendment. Exemption of tyres produced before 1 July 2012 from the labelling requirements : all tyres produced before 1 July 2012 are excluded from the requirement to be labelled from 1 November 2012. The Commission does not see the need for exempting tyres produced before 1 July 2012. The industry will have had between 2 and 3 years to prepare for the labelling scheme, which should be sufficient. In addition, this amendment appears disproportionate compared to the related costs and complexity of market surveillance for Member States.

The Commission’s amended proposal incorporates the majority of amendments proposed by the European Parliament at its first reading, along with technical improvements that are necessary for changing the format from a Directive into a Regulation .

The main amendments of the proposal are as follows:

Format of the proposal : this has been changed from a Directive to a Regulation. Taking into account that a Regulation will reduce transposal costs and ensure that the application date of the labelling scheme applies to all stakeholders at the same time, the Commission acknowledges this change.

Scope of application and other general provisions

Aim and subject matter : the aim of the proposal has been clarified. It aims to promote wet grip and external rolling noise in addition to fuel efficiency which is in line with the approach of the entire labelling scheme. The Commission therefore accepts this amendment in full. Remove tyre stored from the definition of 'point of sale' : i t is acceptable to clarify the wording to indicate that those stocks, where tyres are not offered for sale to end-users (such as storage places of suppliers) are not included in the definition of point of sale. The Commission however deems that it is crucial that those tyres stored at the point of sale to end-users (i.e. tyres stored by the distributors) bear a label. This will ensure maximum visibility of the labelling scheme and avoid situations where only the best tyres are displayed with a label in the show room (if there is one). The latter situation would undermine the whole effectiveness of the scheme which is based on the obligation for suppliers to display the classes of all tyres including those poorly rated. Thus, the Commission accepts this amendment in part and with redrafting in order keep tyre stored into the definition of point of sale but clarify that tyre stored by suppliers are not included. Reduce the scope of the definition of technical promotion literature : an amendment r educes the scope of the definition of technical promotional literature (the list of examples of 'technical promotional literature' becomes a closed list) and excludes 'media advertising' from such definition. The Commission believes that such exclusion of 'media advertising' should be removed for clarity sake since no definition of 'media advertising' is provided and leaflets and suppliers' website can be considered as 'media advertising'. In addition, the initial wording of the proposal already makes it clear that only the marketing tools describing the specific parameters of a tyre are considered to be technical promotional literature. It is therefore the content of information displayed by the marketing tool and not the tool itself that is relevant to determine what is considered as technical promotional literature.

Responsibilities of suppliers and distributors

Explanation of the label to end-users : an amendment requires the provision of supplementary standardised information to end-users explaining the components of the label. The Commission agrees with the principle. As laid down in point 3 (i) of Annex III, suppliers are requested to provide an explanation of the pictograms printed on the label. Additional information requirements such as a fuel savings calculator and EU website appear however disproportionate. An EU wide website and fuel savings calculator would be extremely costly to monitor and burdensome for a limited effectiveness. It would also raise issues about updating and liability of data provided. Consumer information should be better addressed at national level. Thus, the amendment is accepted in part and with redrafting of a new recital. Responsibilities of tyre suppliers : suppliers are also required to provide the measured rolling resistance coefficient on technical promotional literature for C2 and C3 tyres. Since it will not imply extra burden or costs for the industry, the Commission can accept this amendment in full. Another amendment requires suppliers to declare in a publicly available database the rolling resistance coefficient, wet grip index and external rolling noise emissions of the tyres as measured at type approval. The measured values declared on the label will not necessarily be the same as the type approved values. In addition, the Commission does not support the setting of a publicly available database. The Commission therefore accepts that the declared rolling resistance coefficient, wet grip index and external rolling noise emissions are made public on the supplier's website but without specifications whether these values are from the type approval procedure or not. Responsibilities of tyre distributors : distributors are required to give 'an explanatory version of the label' to end-users 'on or with' the bill in addition to the information required by the current Article 5 (3). The Commission considers that this 'explanatory information on the label' (i.e. information given after the purchasing decision of the end-user) would be of limited use and should not be required in view to reduce to a minimum the burden on distributors. The Commission however accepts the proposed wording 'on or with' the bill which gives more flexibility to distributors on the way they will comply with Article 5 (3).

Compliance with information requirements

Testing methods : the testing methods shall provide end-users with reliable and reproducible information. While the Commission fully shares this view, the wording needs redrafting to be in line with existing labelling initiatives. An amendment is introduced for that purpose. Market surveillance and penalties : the provisions on market surveillance and penalties have been reinforced. The Commission takes note that this is a major concern of the stakeholders. The Commission however cannot accept the wording which makes a distinction between sanctions and penalties. The term 'penalty' in EU law already includes administrative and criminal penalties. Furthermore, Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 setting out the requirements for accreditation and market surveillance relating to the marketing of products and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 339/93 already sets the rules applicable for market surveillance as from 1 January 2010. Since Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 sets very precise rules on market surveillance and penalties which would address the intention of the amendments referred above, it is suggested to introduce a reference to this Regulation in Recital 21 and in a new Article 12 on enforcement. The current Article 12 on penalties is deleted as it becomes redundant with Article 41 of that Regulation.

Comitology and Review

Snow and Nordic winter tyres : certain amendments introduce the possibility in comitology to adapt the labelling scheme to the technical specificities of snow and Nordic winter tyres. Introduction of new parameters on the label : t he deletion of Article 11 (2) removes the possibility to add new parameters on the label through the comitology procedure which the Commission accepts. Timing and scope of the review : two amendments list some of the elements to be considered in the review of the proposal and require that this review takes place after three years of the proposal's entry into force instead of the five years initially proposed. The list is acceptable in principle for the Commission but 'three years' is too early for a review. A labelling scheme takes in average eight years to fully impact market transformation; in three years, not all end-users will have changed their tyres even once. In addition, the comitology procedure in Article 11 already gives the room for adaptation of the labelling scheme to technological changes if necessary.

Date of application

Early implementation : stakeholders should be encouraged to label tyres before the mandatory application date of the proposal. Nothing in the current text forbids placing tyres on the market with the label before its date of application. The Commission therefore accepts this amendment. Exemption of tyres produced before 1 July 2012 from the labelling requirements : all tyres produced before 1 July 2012 are excluded from the requirement to be labelled from 1 November 2012. The Commission does not see the need for exempting tyres produced before 1 July 2012. The industry will have had between 2 and 3 years to prepare for the labelling scheme, which should be sufficient. In addition, this amendment appears disproportionate compared to the related costs and complexity of market surveillance for Member States.

The European Parliament adopted by 642 votes to 23, with 8 abstentions, a legislative resolution amending, under the first reading of the codecision procedure, the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on labelling of tyres with respect to fuel efficiency and other essential parameters.

The main amendments are as follows:

Adopting a Regulation : MEPs recommend choosing a Regulation as the instrument, instead of a Directive. That should ensure a standard level of tyre quality.

Savings calculator : in order to increase understanding and awareness about rolling resistance, a fuel savings calculator, such as that which already exists for C3 tyres, would serve as a meaningful tool to demonstrate potential savings of fuel, money and CO2.

Snow tyres and Nordic winter tyres : snow tyres and Nordic winter tyres have specific parameters that are not fully comparable to normal tyres. In order to ensure that end-users make fair and informed decisions, the parameters of these tyres should be displayed in a way that puts them on an equal footing with normal tyres.

Tyre labelling website : according to MEPs, potential purchasers should be provided with supplementary standardised information which explains each of the components of the label - fuel efficiency, wet grip and noise emissions. The Commission shall establish and administer, no later than September 2010, the "EU tyre labelling website" as a reference source of explanatory information for each component of the label. The website shall include:

an explanation of the pictograms printed on the label; a fuel savings calculator which demonstrates potential savings of fuel, money and CO2 by fitting low rolling resistance tyres for C1, C2 and C3 tyre classes; a statement highlighting the fact that actual fuel savings and road safety heavily depend on drivers' behaviour, in particular: (i) eco-driving, which can significantly reduce fuel consumption; (ii) tyre pressure, that should be regularly checked for higher wet grip and fuel efficiency performance characteristics; (iii) stopping distances, that should always be strictly respected.

This information should also be provided on explanatory leaflets and posters at all points of sale.

Informing the public : suppliers shall ensure that C1 and C2 tyres delivered to distributors or end-users are supplied with a label to be displayed by any means or by a sticker on the tyre tread, indicating the fuel efficiency and wet grip class and the external rolling noise measured value. For C2 and C3 tyres, the measured rolling resistance coefficient shall also be stated.

Moreover, suppliers shall present measured values from the type approval test with regard to the rolling resistance coefficient (expressed in kg/t), wet grip index (expressed as a performance index, G, compared to the standard reference tyre) and noise emissions (expressed in dB) in a publicly available database.

Responsibilities of vehicle suppliers and vehicle distributors : where end-users are offered a choice between different tyre types to be fitted on a new vehicle, one of the following points shall apply:

(a) where end-users are offered a choice between different tyre/rim sizes but not between other parameters of the tyre type, the information shall mention for each tyre/rim size the lowest fuel efficiency class, wet grip class and highest external rolling noise measured value of all tyre types within this tyre/rim size;

(b) except in cases covered by point (a), the information shall mention the fuel efficiency class, wet grip class and external rolling noise measured value of all tyre types which may be chosen by the end-user.

Testing methods : the harmonised tests shall provide end-users with a reliable and fully representative ranking of the characteristics tested.

Verification procedure : to give legal certainty to car- and tyre manufacturers, it has to be clear that controls should not lead to Member States blocking type approved cars and tyres from free circulation in the EU.

Inspections : Member States shall ensure that the competent authorities establish a system of routine and non-routine inspections of points of sale for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the requirements of this Regulation.

Implementation and penalties : to ensure a level playing field for all tyre manufacturers, both within the Community and vis-à-vis their international competitors, MEPs believe that it is of the utmost importance that the provisions of this Regulation be vigorously enforced in each and every Member State. To this end, Member States shall, by means of a continuous exchange of information, ensure close cooperation in market supervision. They shall take appropriate measures for regular ex-post controls in order to ensure that tyres which are not duly labelled are brought into conformity or taken off the market. They shall also introduce measures laying down sanctions for infringements of the provisions of this Regulation.

Member States should strive, in implementing the relevant provisions of this Regulation, to refrain from measures that impose unjustified, bureaucratic and unwieldy obligations on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

According to MEPs, tyre manufacturers, suppliers and distributors should be encouraged to comply with the provisions of this Regulation before 2012 to speed up the recognition of the scheme and realisation of its benefits.

Review : not later than three years after the date of application of this Regulation, the Commission shall review its application, considering inter alia: (a) the effectiveness of the label in terms of consumer awareness; (b) whether the labelling scheme should be extended to include retreaded tyres; (c) whether new tyre parameters or classes should be introduced; (d) the information on tyre parameters provided by vehicle suppliers and distributors to end-users.

The Commission shall, on the basis of this review and after an impact assessment and a consumer survey, submit a report to the European Parliament and the Council, accompanied if appropriate, by a proposal for amendment of this Regulation.

Transposition : this Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union and shall apply from 1 November 2012. However, Articles 4 (responsibilities of tyre suppliers) and 5 (responsibilities of tyre distributors) shall not apply to tyres produced before 1 July 2012.

The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy adopted the report drawn up by Ivo BELET (EPP-ED, BE) amending, under the first reading of the codecision procedure, the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on labelling of tyres with respect to fuel efficiency and other essential parameters.

The main amendments are as follows:

Regulation : according to MEPs, a regulation should logically be chosen as an instrument, instead of a directive. This should ensure a standard level of tyre quality. The regulation vouches directly for the provisions with reference to the labelling obligations, as transposition into national right is not required.

Savings calculator : in order to increase understanding and awareness about rolling resistance, a fuel savings calculator, such as that which already exists for C3 tyres, would serve as a meaningful tool to demonstrate potential savings of fuel, money and CO 2 .

Snow tyres and Nordic winter tyres : snow tyres and Nordic winter tyres have specific parameters that are not fully comparable to normal tyres. In order to ensure that end-users make fair and informed decisions, the parameters of these tyres should be displayed in a way that puts them on an equal footing with normal tyres.

Tyre labelling website : according to MEPs, potential purchasers should be provided with supplementary standardised information which explains each of the components of the label - fuel efficiency, wet grip and noise emissions. This information should be provided on the EU tyre labelling website, a central online source of explanatory and supplementary information administered by the Commission, regarding each of the components of the tyre label and including a fuel savings calculator. The Commission shall establish and administer this website no later than September 2010. Explanatory leaflets and posters with the same core content as the website shall be distributed to points of sale for tyres and vehicles.

Informing the public : suppliers shall present measured values from the type approval test with regard to the rolling resistance coefficient, wet grip index and noise emissions in a publicly available database. Moreover, suppliers shall present measured values from the type approval test moulded into or onto each sidewall for each model.

Testing methods : on grounds of road safety and consumer protection the harmonised testing methods must be implemented under the same conditions as those applying during actual use.

Verification procedure : to give legal certainty to car- and tyre manufacturers, it has to be clear that controls should not lead to Member States blocking type approved cars and tyres from free circulation in the EU.

Inspections : Member States shall ensure that the competent authorities establish a system of routine and non-routine inspections of points of sale for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the requirements of this Regulation.

Implementation and penalties : to ensure a level playing field for all tyre manufacturers, both within the Community and vis-à-vis their international competitors, MEPs believe that it is of the utmost importance that the provisions of this Regulation will be vigorously enforced in each and every Member State. To this end, Member States shall, by means of a continuous exchange of information, ensure close cooperation in market supervision. They shall take appropriate measures for regular ex-post controls in order to ensure that tyres which are not duly labelled are brought into conformity or taken off the market. They shall also introduce measures laying down sanctions for infringements of the provisions of this Regulation.

Member States should strive, in implementing the relevant provisions of this Regulation, to refrain from measures that impose unjustified, bureaucratic and unwieldy obligations on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

According to MEPs, tyre manufacturers, suppliers and distributors should be encouraged to comply with the provisions of this Regulation before 2012 to speed up the recognition of the scheme and realisation of its benefits.

Review : not later than three years after the date of application of this Regulation, the Commission shall review its application, considering inter alia: (a) the effectiveness of the label in terms of consumer awareness; (b) whether the labelling scheme should be extended to include retreaded tyres; (c) whether new tyre parameters or classes should be introduced; (d) the information on tyre parameters provided by vehicle suppliers and distributors to end-users.

PURPOSE: to lay down provisions to label tyres with respect to fuel efficiency and other essential parameters.

PROPOSED ACT: Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council.

CONTENT: w ith as much as 23% of total CO 2 emissions coming from road transport, reducing vehicles’ energy intensity and emissions is a major challenge for the EU. The Energy Efficiency Action Plan underlined the possibility of achieving the 20% energy saving potential by 2020 by presenting a list of targeted actions including the labelling of tyres.

Tyres can play a significant part in reducing transport energy intensity and emissions since they account for 20% to 30% of vehicles’ total fuel consumption. This proportion of fuel is used to overcome rolling resistance (RR) due mainly to “hysteretic loss” (loss of energy through the heating and deformation of the wheels while rolling). New technologies make it possible to reduce RR, so that it currently varies by up to 100% across all tyre categories. For passenger cars, for instance, this means a difference of up to 10% in fuel consumption between the worst- and the best-performing tyre set.

Studies show that fuel efficient tyres are cost-effective: the price differential of better performing tyres will be compensated by savings over their lifetime. There is therefore a direct interest for tyre purchasers to reduce their fuel bill and for society as a whole to reduce emissions due to road transport. The impact at EU level could be impressive; the external study conducted within the impact assessment identified a savings potential of from 0.56 to 1.51 Mtoe per year depending on the speed of market transformation. This is equivalent to removing 0.5 million to 1.3 million passenger cars from EU roads (or 3% to 8% of new passenger cars registered).

In addition, tyre performances are interrelated, so that acting on one parameter, such as energy efficiency, may have an adverse impact on other parameters, such as wet grip, whereas optimising wet grip may have an adverse impact on external rolling noise. A labelling scheme for tyres at EU level aims to respond to the suboptimal market transformation towards fuel efficient tyres arising from lack of information. It would allow consumers to make an informed choice, give incentives to tyre manufacturers to upgrade their products and contribute to awareness-raising. Market surveys have also shown that consumers would be interested in buying fuel-efficient tyres.

The proposal on tyre labelling is part of an integrated approach to reduce fuel consumption and emissions in road transport.

Directed at the demand side, it will complement the type-approval legislation on tyres which addresses the supply side by means of minimum requirements. The minimum requirements governing rolling resistance, wet grip and external rolling noise scheduled to take effect by October 2012 in the proposal for a Regulation on the general safety of motor vehicles will guarantee a standard level of tyre quality, while further improvements above these levels will be driven by the labelling scheme. In a context of increased competition on the tyre market, it will introduce a level playing field for all; with the possibility for producers to benefit from product differentiation so that competition will not only be based on prices but also on product quality. It is also likely to decrease the entry barriers for new entrants based on reputation. The industry will, for its part, receive more return on its R&D investment since consumers and end-users will have access to objective, reliable and comparable information on tyre parameters.

The labelling proposal follows an integrated approach on tyres which will ensure that standardised information is supplied not only on fuel efficiency but also on wet grip and external rolling noise, so that consumers and end-users can make an informed choice. The aim is to promote, through the operation of market forces, dynamic improvement of all parameters beyond the minimum requirements set for type approval (the procedure which grants access to the EU market).

More specifically, this proposal concerns creating a labelling scheme for tyre parameters including fuel efficiency, wet grip and external rolling noise, addressing C1, C2 and C3 tyres (tyres fitted on passenger cars, light- and heavy-duty vehicles). It will provide harmonised and easy-to-understand information to consumers, companies and retailers by grading tyre performance characteristics. It will guarantee that the information is made available to end-users via different media (e.g. electronic, catalogues, stickers).

The proposal is in line with the revised Commission strategy on CO2 from passenger cars and light commercial vehicles and the input from the CARS 21 high-level group. This strategy is based on an integrated approach for achieving the 120g/km CO2 target by 2012.

PURPOSE: to lay down provisions to label tyres with respect to fuel efficiency and other essential parameters.

PROPOSED ACT: Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council.

CONTENT: w ith as much as 23% of total CO 2 emissions coming from road transport, reducing vehicles’ energy intensity and emissions is a major challenge for the EU. The Energy Efficiency Action Plan underlined the possibility of achieving the 20% energy saving potential by 2020 by presenting a list of targeted actions including the labelling of tyres.

Tyres can play a significant part in reducing transport energy intensity and emissions since they account for 20% to 30% of vehicles’ total fuel consumption. This proportion of fuel is used to overcome rolling resistance (RR) due mainly to “hysteretic loss” (loss of energy through the heating and deformation of the wheels while rolling). New technologies make it possible to reduce RR, so that it currently varies by up to 100% across all tyre categories. For passenger cars, for instance, this means a difference of up to 10% in fuel consumption between the worst- and the best-performing tyre set.

Studies show that fuel efficient tyres are cost-effective: the price differential of better performing tyres will be compensated by savings over their lifetime. There is therefore a direct interest for tyre purchasers to reduce their fuel bill and for society as a whole to reduce emissions due to road transport. The impact at EU level could be impressive; the external study conducted within the impact assessment identified a savings potential of from 0.56 to 1.51 Mtoe per year depending on the speed of market transformation. This is equivalent to removing 0.5 million to 1.3 million passenger cars from EU roads (or 3% to 8% of new passenger cars registered).

In addition, tyre performances are interrelated, so that acting on one parameter, such as energy efficiency, may have an adverse impact on other parameters, such as wet grip, whereas optimising wet grip may have an adverse impact on external rolling noise. A labelling scheme for tyres at EU level aims to respond to the suboptimal market transformation towards fuel efficient tyres arising from lack of information. It would allow consumers to make an informed choice, give incentives to tyre manufacturers to upgrade their products and contribute to awareness-raising. Market surveys have also shown that consumers would be interested in buying fuel-efficient tyres.

The proposal on tyre labelling is part of an integrated approach to reduce fuel consumption and emissions in road transport.

Directed at the demand side, it will complement the type-approval legislation on tyres which addresses the supply side by means of minimum requirements. The minimum requirements governing rolling resistance, wet grip and external rolling noise scheduled to take effect by October 2012 in the proposal for a Regulation on the general safety of motor vehicles will guarantee a standard level of tyre quality, while further improvements above these levels will be driven by the labelling scheme. In a context of increased competition on the tyre market, it will introduce a level playing field for all; with the possibility for producers to benefit from product differentiation so that competition will not only be based on prices but also on product quality. It is also likely to decrease the entry barriers for new entrants based on reputation. The industry will, for its part, receive more return on its R&D investment since consumers and end-users will have access to objective, reliable and comparable information on tyre parameters.

The labelling proposal follows an integrated approach on tyres which will ensure that standardised information is supplied not only on fuel efficiency but also on wet grip and external rolling noise, so that consumers and end-users can make an informed choice. The aim is to promote, through the operation of market forces, dynamic improvement of all parameters beyond the minimum requirements set for type approval (the procedure which grants access to the EU market).

More specifically, this proposal concerns creating a labelling scheme for tyre parameters including fuel efficiency, wet grip and external rolling noise, addressing C1, C2 and C3 tyres (tyres fitted on passenger cars, light- and heavy-duty vehicles). It will provide harmonised and easy-to-understand information to consumers, companies and retailers by grading tyre performance characteristics. It will guarantee that the information is made available to end-users via different media (e.g. electronic, catalogues, stickers).

The proposal is in line with the revised Commission strategy on CO2 from passenger cars and light commercial vehicles and the input from the CARS 21 high-level group. This strategy is based on an integrated approach for achieving the 120g/km CO2 target by 2012.