It aims to give consumers more information when choosing new tyres for their vehicles. It makes labels about a tyre’s characteristics and performance, in snow and ice for instance, more visible and informative. This will help end-users¹ take into account features such as safety, health protection and economic and environmental efficiency.
The legislation is designed to promote fuel-efficient, long-lasting and safe tyres with low noise levels.
It amends Regulation (EU) 2017/1369 (see summary).

KEY POINTS

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 retreads² once a suitable performance test is available;
does not apply to certain specalised categories of tyre, such as those for off-road professional use, to vehicles first registered before 1 October 1990 or to second-hand tyres, unless imported from a non-EU country.

Tyre suppliers must:

attach a sticker label to individual tyres and a printed label to a batch of tyres, containing the information set out in Annexes I and II, and provide a product information sheet containing the details specified in Annex III;
make the tyre label visible, preferably close to the price, in advertisements and distance selling or internet sales;
ensure the tyre labels and product information sheets are accurate;
cooperate with market surveillance authorities, which may carry out routine and ad hoc inspections, and act immediately if any infringements are discovered;
provide their national authorities, via a product database, with technical details of the tyres and their performance before they are offered for sale, enabling authorities to check the accuracy of the tyre labels — the information will have to be supplied from 1 May 2021 (and by 30 November 2021 for tyres produced between 25 June 2020 and 30 April 2021);
not provide or display labels, marks, symbols or inscriptions that do not comply with the regulation.

Tyre distributors must:

attach a sticker label to individual tyres and a printed label to a batch of tyres at the point of sale, containing the information required;
ensure the tyre label is displayed close to the price on any technical promotional material, paper-based distances sales, and advertisements and internet sales;
provide customers with a copy of the tyre label before a sale, if the tyres are not visible;
inform customers where they can access the product information sheet.

Suppliers and distributors of new vehicles must provide customers with the tyre label, product information sheet and any relevant technical promotional material before a purchase is made.

Internet service providers must ensure that suppliers selling tyres on their sites display the necessary label as well as the information sheet.

National authorities must:

allow the sale and use of tyres that comply with the legislation;
verify the accuracy of the information on the tyre labels;
lay down penalty and enforcement rules for any infringements.

The European Commission:

encourages and supports cooperation and information exchange between market surveillance authorities;
may adopt delegated acts to amend some of the annexes to take account of technical improvements;
submits a report evaluating the regulation to the European Parliament, the Council and the European Economic and Social Committee by 1 June 2025.

Repeal

Regulation (EU) 2020/740 repeals the tyre-labelling Regulation (EC) No 1222/2009 (see summary).

FROM WHEN DOES THE REGULATION APPLY?

It applies from 1 May 2021.

BACKGROUND

The tyre-labelling system aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and noise pollution and improve road safety. Tyres account for 20-30% of a vehicle’s fuel consumption. Reducing their rolling resistance helps cut emissions and increase savings for drivers through lower fuel consumption.

For more information, see:

Tyres — Energy label (European Commission).

KEY TERMS

End-user: an individual consumer, fleet manager or road transport company.
Retread: a reconditioned tyre where the worn tread is replaced with new material.

MAIN DOCUMENT

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 (OJ L 177, 5.6.2020, pp. 1-31)

Successive amendments to Regulation (EU) 2020/740 have been incorporated into the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.