CORDIS - Forschungsergebnisse der EU
CORDIS

Market Surveillance Action for Tyres 2015

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - MSTYR15 (Market Surveillance Action for Tyres 2015)

Berichtszeitraum: 2017-06-01 bis 2018-06-30

Market surveillance across the EU in respect of the vehicle tyres Regulation (EC) No. 1222/2009 is not routinely undertaken by all the relevant authorities in a harmonised or coordinated way.
This is important, for without good market surveillance there is no way to ensure that products comply with the environment and safety measures incorporated in this measure.
Non-compliance penalises much of society: purchasers and users and those economic operators facing unfair competition from the supply of non-compliant products.

The objective of MSTyr15 (Market Surveillance Project Tyres 2015) was to help deliver the intended economic and environmental benefits of these energy efficiency regulations by strengthening the skills and capacities of MSAs leading to increasing compliance with the regulations. The participating MSAs came from Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden and Turkey.

The actual number of inspections achieved was 12.241. 2.888 of these were for tyres inspected on the web and the remaining 9.353 in physical shops.

The results of the MSTyr15 testing activities are as follows:

• 16 models (12%) gave an indicative non-compliant result for WG, whilst 20 models (15%) did the same for the RR.

The project generated results in the following areas:

Enabling policy: 15 MSAs were actively engaged with enforcing in this policy area, at levels that they have never achieved previously.

Building capacities and skills: staff from MSAs across the EEA received training and developed competences and new skills in work methodologies that are based on good practices established in other authorities.

Energy savings although difficult to estimate will continue to be achieved through the enforcement actions undertaken as a direct result of the inspections done in WP5.

In summary, the project achieved:

• Increase of confidence among purchasers, manufactures and retailers;
• Enforcement of EU legislation: 12,241 different models examined; enforcement measures were taken for 9% of tyre models examined;
• 244 voluntary actions taken to correct documentation or labelling;
• Improving competition in the field in the EU Single Market;
• Enhancing the visibility of the project outputs to target groups, and stimulating a further exploitation of the MSTyr15 results by the Member States beyond the project’s life-cycle.
The programme was subdivided into six Work Packages (WPs):

WP1 provided effective management, coordination and strategic direction. A Management Team of representatives of each beneficiary was formed and an Advisory Board, whose membership was made up of stakeholder organisations.
WP2 produced and published Good Practice Guidelines.
WP3 developed training materials and training opportunities by organising events and through access to on-line materials.
WP4 developed a project database “App” for use by the participants on their project supplied android tablets or other devices such as their desktop PCs.
WP5 was focused on the inspection and testing of passenger car tyres to check their compliance with the applicable regulations.
WP6 has delivered a proactive and inclusive communication plan.

Multiple inspections were carried out on labelled tyres being held in stock at distribution, retail sites and on the web in each of the participating Member States. All inspection data was collected using the same format and stored in a common database developed in WP4, which provided the participants with access to such details as brands, models, dimensions including OE marking, load and speed index, and other characteristics.
A document inspection action was also carried out and for 876 tyres models the economic operators were contacted to provide the documentation. Overall, in 334 documents received (38%), 283 non-compliances have been identified.

The testing programmes and procedures were coordinated across the participating MSAs to avoid duplicating testing in different MS, following the Good Practice Guideline developed in WP2. Some of the brands/models classified as non-compliant in the previous step (verification of the documentation) were to be tested for Wet Grip (WG) and Rolling Resistance (RR). No models of tyres failed both WG and RR.

The results of the testing are as follows:
• 16 models (12%) gave an indicative non-compliant result for WG;
• 20 models (15%) gave an indicative non-compliant result for RR.

With regards to ICSMS, more than 12.000 tyre label inspections had been recorded in this database in the context of MSTyr15.

In terms of enforcement, each participant undertook actions for those products that were found to be non-compliant for Labelling, Technical Documentation and/or performance Tests. More than 1.100 letters were sent to Economic Operators requiring corrective actions to be undertaken. In some 20% of cases, the Economic Operator quickly took voluntary actions.

Regarding communication and dissemination, the project website was further developed and two newsletters and a final press release were published ― available in a number of languages. Other communication avenues have included the use of AB members as a communications conduit to their wider membership and the establishment of a Twitter account. This account was used to target the professional audience, such as the industry associations, civic organisations, individual manufacturers, policymakers, and EU consumers.
Overall, all WPs have delivered all tasks as planned with no significant exceptions to report.

The project was a success, having resulted in the largest inspection regime ever carried out across the EU in support of energy efficiency regulations. The close attention and support provided by the two major EU trade associations for tyres has ensured that the message of increasingly effective market surveillance is now taking place on tyres has been disseminated to a substantial number of manufacturers and importers of tyres. And the new skills and capacities acquired through this project by the participating MSAs will ensure that that effective market surveillance will continue in the future.
Progress beyond the state of the art has being achieved in WP4. In particular, the multifunctional “App” enables data to be collected directly into an integrated IT system. It eliminates the use of “pen and paper” to record and store data. Subject to the cooperation of DG GROW, this app enables data to be entered just once since it can, in theory, seamlessly flow from the point of entry directly into the ICSMS database and so be immediately accessible by any registered MSA in the EU.

MSTyr15 core activities in RP2 Result Findings of non-compliance (NOK)
- Inspections of Tyre labels – in shops: 9,353 568 NOK (6%)
- Inspections of Tyre labels - online: 2,888 627 NOK (22%)
- Document inspection - 334 received (out of 876 requested) 283 NOK(84.7%)
- Performance testing 131 models : Wet Grip - 16 NOK (12%)
Rolling Resistance - 20 NOK (15%)
- Training videos in 15 languages
- Online project database/upload to ICSMS - More than 12,000 tyre label inspections recorded
- Enforcement actions at EU level - 1,126 letters sent to Economic Operators
- 244 voluntary actions taken to correct documentation or labelling.
WSED2018 MSTyr15 Presentation Feb-Mar 2018
MSTyr15 Training Video presented to participants at JA2015 Annual Workshop 30 Nov 2016 – 2
MSTyr15 Poster prepared for WSED2018 conference
MSTyr15 Proceedings prepared for WSED2018 conference
MSTyr15 participants at WP3 & WP4 Joint Meeting No.2 - Nov 2016_3
MSTyr15 Training Video presented to participants at JA2015 Annual Workshop 30 Nov 2016
EUSEW18 MSTyr15 Presentation1 in June 2018
MSTyr15 participants at WP1, WP3 and WP4 joint meetings - Sept 2016
MSTyr15 Training Video presented during Final Conference in May 2018
Tablet equipped with the MSTyr15 application
MSTyr15 participants at WP3 & WP4 Joint Meeting No.2 - Nov 2016
MSTyr15 Training Video presented during WP3 & WP4 Joint Meeting No.2 Nov 2016 -2
MSTyr15 Training Video presented during WP3 & WP4 Joint Meeting No.2 Nov 2016
MSTyr15 Project Flyer
MSTyr15 participants at WP1, WP3 and WP4 joint meetings - Sept 2016 _2