Tyre Labelling
Tyre Labelling Regulations
Subsidiary Legislation 427.103, Labelling of Tyres with respect to Fuel Efficiency and Other Parameters (Implementing) Regulations, transposes Regulation (EU) 2020/740 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 May 2020 on the labelling of tyres with respect to fuel efficiency and other parameters, amending Regulation (EU) 2017/1369 and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1222/2009.
Scope
The Tyre Labelling Regulation is designed to promote fuel-efficient, long-lasting and safe tyres with low noise levels. It aims to give consumers more information when choosing new tyres for their vehicles; by making labels about the tyre’s characteristics and performance, more visible and informative. This will help end-users take into account features such as safety, health protection, and economic and environmental efficiency.
Applicability
The Regulation applies to tyres for passenger cars (C1 tyres), buses and coaches, light and heavy goods vehicles, and light and heavy trailers (C2 and C3 tyres), as well as to re-treaded tyres once a suitable performance test is available.
There are a number of specialized tyres that are excluded from this Regulation, including:
- off‐road professional tyres,
- tyres designed to be fitted only on vehicles registered for the first time before 1 October 1990,
- T‐type temporary‐use spare tyres,
- tyres whose speed rating is less than 80km/h,
- tyres whose nominal rim diameter does not exceed 254mm or is 635mm or more,
- tyres fitted with additional devices to improve traction properties, such as studded tyres,
- tyres designed only to be fitted on vehicles intended exclusively for racing, and
- second‐hand tyres, unless such tyres are imported from a third country.
Obligations of tyre suppliers
The obligations of tyre suppliers include:
- Suppliers shall ensure that C1, C2 and C3 tyres are accompanied, free of charge, by a tyre label and by a product information sheet.
- For tyres offered for sale by distance selling, suppliers shall ensure that the tyre label is displayed close to the price and that the product information sheet can be accessed.
- For any visual advertisement for a tyre type, suppliers shall ensure that the tyre label is shown. If there’s a price, the tyre label must be displayed close to the price.
- For any technical promotional material for a tyre type, suppliers must ensure that the tyre label is displayed.
- Suppliers shall ensure the accuracy of the tyre labels and product information sheets that they provide.
- Suppliers shall enter the required information into the product database.
- Suppliers shall not provide or display labels that mimic the tyre label, other labels, marks, symbols or inscriptions that do not comply with this Regulation and that would be likely to mislead or confuse end-users.
- Suppliers must cooperate with and provide information to authorities and/or market surveillance authorities following any requests.
Obligations of tyre suppliers in relation to the product database
The obligations of tyre suppliers in relation to the product database include:
- For tyres produced from 1st May 2021, suppliers shall enter the information required into the product database EPREL before placing the tyres on the market.
- For tyres produced between 25th June 2020 and 30th April 2021, suppliers shall enter the information required into the product database EPREL by the 30th November 2021.
- For tyres placed on the market before the 25th June 2020, suppliers may enter the information into the product database EPREL.
- Suppliers shall provide the authorities with any requested information in order to carry out their tasks.
- Changes to a tyre that are relevant for the tyre label or product information sheet shall be listed as a new tyre type.
- The supplier shall indicate in the product database when it has ceased to place on the market units of a certain tyre type. After the final unit of a tyre type has been placed on the market, the supplier shall keep the information concerning that tyre type in the compliance part of the product database for a period of five years.
Obligations of tyre distributors
The obligations of tyre distributors include:
- Distributors shall ensure that at the point of sale, tyres bear a tyre label, in the form of a sticker, provided by the supplier, in a clearly visible position and legible, and that the product information sheet is available, including in printed form upon request.
- In case that a tyre is part of a batch of one or more identical tyres, then the distributors shall ensure, before the sale, that a printed tyre label is shown to the end-user and is clearly displayed close to the tyre at the point of sale, and that the product information sheet is available.
- Distributors shall ensure that any visual advertisement for a specific tyre type shows the tyre label. If the visual advertisement indicates the price of that tyre type, the tyre label shall be displayed close to the price indication.
- Distributors shall ensure that any technical promotional material concerning a specific tyre type displays the tyre label and includes the required information.
- Distributors shall ensure that where tyres offered for sale are not visible to the end-user at the time of sale, they provide the end-user with a copy of the tyre label before the sale.
- Distributors shall ensure that any paper‐based distance selling shows the tyre label and that end-users can access the product information sheet through a free access website, and can request a printed copy of the product information sheet.
- Distributors that use telemarketing‐based distance selling shall inform end-users of the classes for each of the parameters on the tyre label, and inform end-users that they can access the tyre label and the product information sheet through a free access website, and by requesting a printed copy.
- For tyres sold or offered for sale on the internet, distributors shall ensure that the tyre label is displayed close to the price indication and that the product information sheet can be accessed. The tyre label shall be clearly visible, legible and of proportionate size.
Obligations of vehicle suppliers and vehicle distributors
Where end-users intend to acquire a new vehicle, vehicle suppliers and vehicle distributors shall provide, before the sale, those end-users with the tyre label for the tyres offered with or fitted on the vehicle and any relevant technical promotional material, and shall ensure that the product information sheet is available.
Obligations of hosting service providers
Where a service provider allows the selling of tyres through its internet site, that service provider shall enable the display of the tyre label and the product information sheet provided by the supplier close to the price indication and shall inform the distributor of the obligation to display the tyre label and the product information sheet.
Enforcement and penalties
The regulations provide powers to enforcing authorities to take action against economic operators for products that are not in conformity with the regulations. Economic operators are required to co-operate with the enforcement authorities and on request, must provide information and take action as appropriate. Economic operators failing to comply with the requirements of the regulations are subject to the provisions of article 26 of the Product Safety Act.
Further Information
The European Commission has produced a guidance article with reference to several documents related to the Labelling of Tyres. This guidance article can be found here.
The European Commission has produced a FAQ Guideline on Regulation (EU) 2020/740 for tyre and vehicle suppliers. This FAQ Guideline can be found here.
The European Commission has issued a news article on the Labelling of Tyres. This article can be found here.
The European Commission has produced guidance called the Blue Guide intended to contribute to a better understanding of EU product safety rules and to their more uniform and coherent application across different sectors and throughout the single market. The Blue Guide can be found here.
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