Final Report Review study on the Regulation (EC) No 1222/2009 on the labelling of tyres

Prepared by Viegand Maagøe A/S

Contract manager and quality control: Van Holsteijn en Kemna B.V. (VHK)

March 2016

Viegand Maagøe A/S (VM) Nr. Farimagsgade 37 1364 Copenhagen K Denmark viegandmaagoe.dk

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Prepared for:

European Commission

DG ENER C.3

Office: DM24 4/149

B-1049 Brussels, Belgium

Contact person: Mr Juan Moreno Acedo

Email: [email protected]

Project website: http://www.labellingtyres.eu/

With reference to Request for Services No. ENER/C3/2012-418-Lot2/07/2014-558, Review study on 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.

In the context of Framework Contract reference ENER/C3/2012-418-Lot 2

Specific contract no.: ENER/C3/2012-418-LOT2/07/2014-558/SI2.707241

The information and views set out in this study are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the Commission. The Commission does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this study. Neither the Commission nor any person acting on the Commission’s behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein.

This report has been prepared by the authors to the best of their ability and knowledge. The authors do not assume liability for any damage, material or immaterial, that may arise from the use of the report or the information contained therein.

© European Union, October 2015. Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.

More information on the European Union is available on the internet (http://europa.eu).

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Executive summary Review study on Regulation (EC) 1222/200091 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the labelling of tyres with respect to fuel efficiency and other essential parameters

Tyres, mainly because of their , account for 20-30 % of the fuel consumption of vehicles2. Therefore, a reduction of the rolling resistance of tyres could contribute significantly to the energy efficiency of road transport and thus to the reduction of emissions. However, tyres are characterised by a number of parameters, which are interrelated. Improving one parameter, such as rolling resistance, may have an adverse impact on other parameters, such as wet grip, while improving wet grip may have an adverse impact on external rolling noise.

In 2009, the European Parliament and the Council adapted the Tyre Labelling Regulation (Regulation (EC) No 1222/2009) to promote sustainable mobility in the EU. The Regulation entered into force on 1 November 2012. Its aim is to increase the safety as well as the economic and environmental efficiency of road transport by promoting fuel efficient and safe tyres with low external rolling noise. The tyre labelling provides harmonised information about fuel-efficiency, wet grip and external rolling noise, as explained in more detail in Chapter 1 Existing Legislation. The intention is to encourage the manufacturers to optimise relevant parameters beyond the standards already achieved and to influence end-users’ purchasing decisions in favour of safer, quieter and more fuel-efficient tyres.

The Tyre Labelling Regulation covers tyres for passenger cars (C1 tyres), tyres for light commercial vehicles (C2 tyres) and tyres for heavy-duty vehicles (C3 tyres)3. Retreaded tyres, studded tyres and tyres for a number of specific applications, such as racing and spare tyres, are exempted4. The Tyre Labelling Regulation Ranks tyre on a scale from ‘A’ to ‘G’ on both fuel efficiency and wet grip, whereas external rolling noise is shown as a measured value and a three-step scale. The label design is based on that from the Energy Labelling Directive5 for energy relate