News

Europe’s Tyre and Rubber industry supports a policy response that both ensures a successful post Covid-19 recovery and drives the European Green Deal targets

12 May 2020

Committed to emerging from the public health crisis even stronger than before, the European tyre industry is ready to work side-by-side with the European Institutions on a COVID-19 policy response that ensures public health, minimises economic impact, and maintains focus on the overarching objectives of our time: decarbonising and digitalising the economy.

The current crisis has created societal and economic impacts and - due to the pandemic containment measures throughout Europe - operational delays in the current work on the regulatory framework, in the public and private sectors. The Industry remains fully committed to work towards the European Green Deal, seeks to prioritize in partnership with the authorities the initiatives to achieve climate neutrality and digital transition, and requests a supportive and reasonable timing to the overall changing regulatory framework.

This collaboration builds on a shared commitment to the European Green Deal, without compromising the important role tyres play in road safety and mobility, nor the tyre industry’s ability to innovate and remain competitive.
To this end, ETRMA calls for:

1. Speeding up the regulatory work on smart mobility to enable new digital transportation services and tyre data solutions as an opportunity for economic recovery and sustainable development. A lack of timely, comprehensive regulation may cause market failures with regard to technology adoption, platform interoperability and unjustified barriers to competition.

2. Supporting tyre industry investments in sustainable consumption and production by fostering market demand for products aligned with EU environmental objectives and targets. This includes:
a. incentives for private consumers and public authorities (e.g., Green Public Procurement) to choose tyres and services with the best safety and environmental performance as indicated by the new tyre label regulation, or contributing to circular economy ambitions, as the truck and bus retreaded tyres do
b. supporting remanufacturing models and the development of secondary raw materials through harmonised EU end-of-waste criteria to include products derived from end-of-life tyres.

3. Strengthening market surveillance and enforcement of EU trade agreements with third countries while supporting the role of Europe as an exporter by setting an ambitious trade agenda and championing fair and free trade. ETRMA and its members look forward to cooperating in a constructive spirit with the future Chief Trade Enforcement Officer.

4. Increasing research and innovation funding to decarbonise the transport sector through a holistic approach to climate-neutral road transport within the Horizon Europe framework, which ETRMA and its members believe will be a key contribution to the success of the European Green Deal.