Tyre abrasion parameters will have to be included on tyre labels, according to the provisional agreement on new tyre labelling rules concluded on Wednesday 13 November between representatives of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union (see EUROPE 12369/20).
However, unlike statements on tyre energy efficiency, wet grip performance and external rolling noise, tyre abrasion should not be included on the label once the new regulation comes into force.
In the absence of being able to properly measure tyre abrasion at this time, the EU Council and the European Parliament have agreed that this will be carried out at a later date, through the adoption of a delegated act by the European Commission.
According to the agreement, this delegated act will therefore only be adopted once appropriate testing methods for measuring abrasion have been developed and an impact study on the possibility of including such parameters within the scope of the Regulation has been carried out.
However, providing for the use of a delegated act rather than an ordinary legislative procedure, which takes more time, is already a victory for those who, like Jutta Paulus (Greens/EFA, Germany), wanted such an obligation to be introduced as quickly as possible.
"The agreement is a success for European consumers and good news for the environment. The labelling of tyre abrasion is an important tool to reduce the environmental impact of microplastics", said Ms Paulus.
Tyre abrasion is, in fact, one of the main sources of microplastics in the environment, standing at more than 500,000 tonnes per year in the EU.
Regarding the parameters relating to mileage, the negotiators would have agreed on the same conditions as those already decided in relation to abrasion parameters (once test methods have been established and an impact study has been carried out, these parameters will be added to the labelling through the adoption of a delegated act).
The Council of the EU and the European Parliament would also have reached the same conclusions with regard to retreaded tyres, with the exception that, in this case, the agreement would not provide for any impact assessment.
Finally, the negotiators would have gone straight down the middle regarding the date of the settlement evaluation. While the EU Council proposed 1st June 2027 and Parliament suggested 1st June 2022, a date of 1st June 2025 has finally been chosen.
The text of the provisional agreement will be submitted for approval to the ambassadors of the Member States of the European Union (Committee of Permanent Representatives – Coreper) on 22 November. (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)