The ADCO group – its role in label enforcement

During this Tire Technology Expo in Cologne, Germany, ETRMA secretary general Fazilet Cinaralp shared some information on the subject of the European tyre label and its enforcement. “As the label uses a system of self regulation and self declaration, there is a need for regular ex-post controls at point of sales,” she commented. “For this reason, in June 2012 the European Union created a committee solely responsible for tyre labelling.”

This committee is the Expert Group on Tyres Labelling – Market Surveillance Administrative Cooperation, or Tyres Labelling ADCO for short. The committee is made up of the national authorities responsible for label enforcement in each of the 27 countries that have adopted it; the Department for Transport represents the UK. The committee first meet on 7 September 2012 and is expected to meet every six months. The next meeting is planned for April.

“What is the mission of this group?” was the question Cinaralp posed. “It is responsible for optimising the implementation of Regulation (EC) 1222/2009 and for harmonising through the exchange of experience the various national surveillance practices across the European economic area for all the products that are covered by this regulation. The committee should cooperate in the testing of products – they don’t want to see the same product tested three or four times when a product can be tested once and the information shared – and discuss any matter related to market surveillance practices.”