ETRMA welcomes new tyre directive proposal

ERJ staff report (DS)

Brussels -- European tyre makers have welcomed the European Commission's new proposal for a directive covering performance of tyres. Francesco Gori, President of ETRMA, the European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers' Association, said in a statement, "We agree on this line of action which offers to customers broad guarantees in terms of product quality and safety, and we are taking an active role in this virtuous process with our proposals, suggestions and requests."

Fazilet Cinaralp, ETRMA Secretary General, adds that this “new initiative will increase the availability of information on all tyres in the market, which can only be beneficial for consumers; the question is “Can the European tyre manufacturers be competitive, when bringing these high quality products to the European market? We believe it is necessary to set up robust verification mechanisms in each member state to protect both industry and consumers from the less scrupulous producers and importers”.

ETRMA had one note of caution. In a statement, the organisation said, "The proposal foresees the use of “stickers on tyres” to inform the end user on the features of the tyre. ETRMA members regret that this measure will not have the desired effect. Many customers will not physically see the tyre before it is taken out of the warehouse and fitted on their car. The choice of a tyre is made by the customer through magazine tests, information collected through the Internet, brochures, personal recommendations and discussions with the dealer.