EU to monitor tyre market for potential law-breakers

ERJ staff report (DS)

Cologne, Germany -- The EU is to set up a EU-wide market surveillance scheme to assess the level of law-breaking with respect to new legislation covering tyres.

Philippe Jean, head of the Automotive Industry Unit within the Directorate for Enterprise and Industry told an audience of tyre professionals that the scheme would be the second in the EU, and be set up later this year.

The first such project would cover the motorcycle market in Italy where up to 30 perent of motorcycles and scooters are believed to be illegal.

The tyre initiative is likely to assess levels of PAH oils in tyres made, sold and imported into the EU. High-PAH oils have been banned in tyres made after January 2010, but early evidence suggests that some importers, notably from China, are not adhering to the law. Reports suggest that most were intending to comply, but high NR pries have forced them to reduce other material costs, and this has led to a higher level of illegal imports than expected.