Tyres and wheels

• Regulation (EU) 2020/740 — tyre labelling
• Regulation (EU) 2018/858 and UNECE R117 — type approval
• Regulation (EU) 2023/988 — GPSR
• Directive 2008/98/EC and national EPR for end-of-life tyres

Who has to appoint one

Manufacturers and sellers placing tyres on the EU market. Tyres are type-approved products bearing an E-mark, and they must additionally be registered in EPREL with the label displayed at the point of sale, including online.

Thresholds and exemptions

None. The labelling Regulation covers C1, C2 and C3 tyres, with retreaded tyres phased in.

What must appear on the label

The E-mark approval number moulded on the sidewall, the size designation, load index, speed rating, the DOT-style date code, and the EU tyre label showing fuel efficiency, wet grip and external rolling noise classes, plus snow and ice grip pictograms where claimed. The label must be visible in online listings.

Marketplace fields

Marketplaces require the EPREL registration and display the label automatically from it. Listings without a valid EPREL entry are suppressed, and this is checked systematically.

Documentation you must hold

Type approval documentation, EPREL registration for each tyre type, technical documentation supporting the declared classes, and EPR registration for end-of-life tyre take-back in each member state.

Standards and testing

UNECE R117 for rolling resistance, wet grip and noise, and R30 or R54 for the tyre itself. Snow and ice grip testing where the pictograms are used.

Language requirements

The label is pictographic and harmonised; the accompanying product information sheet must be available in the language of the member state.

When it applies

Approval and EPREL registration before placing on the market. EPR registration before the first shipment into a country.

How long records are kept

Technical documentation and EPREL data per the Regulation, and EPR declarations per national law.

What happens if you do not comply

Prohibition of sale, marketplace removal for missing EPREL, and fines. Selling tyres without an approval marking is treated as a road safety matter.

Who enforces it

Type approval authorities, market surveillance, energy agencies for EPREL and national tyre EPR schemes.

Where the boundary lies

An Article 4 economic operator does not substitute for type approval, and EPREL registration must be made by the supplier itself. End-of-life tyre EPR is national, like packaging and WEEE.

Questions we are asked

Do part-worn tyres need the label?

The labelling Regulation covers new tyres. Part-worn tyres are subject to national rules that in several member states are highly restrictive.

Can we sell tyres approved outside the EU?

Only if they carry an E-mark approval recognised in the Union. Other approvals have no effect.