Making United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) Regulation Nos 109 and 108 on retreaded tyres compulsory

PURPOSE : to make UN/ECE Regulations 109 and 108 on retreaded tyres compulsory in the EC LEGISLATIVE ACT : Council Decision 2006/443/EC amending Decisions 2001/507/EC and 2001/509/EC with a view to making United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) Regulation Nos 109 and 108 on retreaded tyres compulsory.

CONTENT : this Decision deals with the authorisation for the placing on the market of retreaded tyres if these have been manufactured in line with the standards laid down by the UNECE. Its purpose is to make compulsory in the Community the provisions on the approval of the production of retreaded pneumatic tyres intended for passenger cars and commercial vehicles included respectively in United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) Regulations 108 (Uniform provisions concerning the approval for the production of retreaded pneumatic tyres for motor vehicles and their trailers) and 109 (Uniform provisions concerning the approval for the production of retreaded pneumatic tyres for commercial vehicles and their trailers), as amended. As a consequence, Member States will permit retreaded tyres to be placed on the market in the Community only if they have been manufactured in accordance with the requirements laid down in the two Regulations.

Both of these Regulations entered into force among the Contracting Parties on 23 June 1998. The Community acceded to both of them by virtue of Council Decisions 2001/509/EC and 2001/507/EC, respectively. However, before this Decision, they were not automatically compulsory in the Contracting Parties and therefore, in EC Member States. As a result, there were no common compulsory rules on safety and on the requirements for the manufacturing of retreaded tyres for the sale and entry into service in the Community.

In view of the limited scope of the required regulatory action, it was not appropriate to provide for the compulsory application of both Regulations by adopting a Directive as announced in Decisions 2001/507/EC and 2001/509/EC.

Decisions 2001/507/EC and 2001/509/EC are amended accordingly, the sole Article of each providing that as from 13 September 2006, the EC will accede to the appropriate UN/ECE Regulation, and that the provisions of the Regulation as set out in the Annex shall apply as a compulsory condition for the placing on the market in the Community of re-treaded tyres falling under the scope of that Regulation.