EC draft directive removes doubt over inch sizes for tyres

Brussels - The European Commission has proposed a Directive amending 80/181/EEC to indefinitely permit the use of inch and other Imperial measurements in many applications, including tyres.

The proposal is based on the results of a public consultation in early 2007 and follows the unanimous recommendation of industry to lift the sundown clause for UK and Ireland on the use of metric measurements.

In a statement, the European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers' Association (ETRMA) said, "We welcome the Commission's proposal. It will stabilise the current application of the 80/181 which has worked efficiently over the past 27 years."

A previous schedule allowed for the complete elimination of Imperial measurements in the EC by the end of 2009. The new ruling, assuming it goes through, will remove that risk indefinitely.