ETMRA
Dr Ralf Holschumacher is stepping down as Vice President of the European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA), and his departure appears to be linked at least in part to the fact that, from the start of 2025, the association now only includes tyre manufacturers as members. As of this year, the ETRMA no longer directly represents national organisations that represent tyre makers, nor does it represent general rubber goods associations.
The European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA) confirms that following his departure from Goodyear, Chris Delaney is no longer serving as President of ETRMA. The association says it is currently in the process of looking for a suitable replacement but has yet to reach a decision.
The European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA) has announced the promotion of Stella Mathioudaki to Director, Product Stewardship & Sustainability. In her expanded role, Mathioudaki will oversee the industry’s efforts on responsible material use and regulatory compliance, while also leading key initiatives on tyre sustainability, including recycling, retreading, and the broader circular economy transition.
The European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA) has expressed its strong support of European Commission plans to simplify the REACH Regulation, with certain caveats. It outlined its views in a four-page document submitted as part of the consultation process.
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company confirms that as of 14 April 2025, Christopher R. Delaney is no longer employed with the company. The former, Brussels-based President of Goodyear’s Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) business had already begun a leave of absence ten days prior to this, with Christina Zamarro named as his interim successor.
Europe’s automotive industry is facing an existential crisis, and you can be sure that the solution will involve much discussion, new regulations and public spending. The European Commission’s new Action Plan builds upon the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of the European Automotive Industry, which launched in January. Amongst other points, the Commission “will make available 1.8 billion euros to create a secure and competitive supply chain for battery raw materials.” The ETRMA calls instead for an “inclusive approach” that “considers the actors and stakeholders in the automotive ecosystem, including the tyre industry.”
Although considering the European Commission’s Clean Industrial Deal (CID) a crucial step in securing Europe’s industrial future, the European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturers Association (ETRMA) stresses that “greater ambition” is still required to “truly enhance competitiveness and sustainability in the tyre industry.” Adam McCarthy, the association’s Secretary General, shares the ETRMA perspective on CID.
Better late than never. In recent times the governments of Europe seem to have woken up to a situation most saw coming from afar and are now directing a flurry of activity towards rescuing the region’s industries. One such measure is the European Commission’s planned Strategic Dialogue on the Future of the European Automotive Industry. A total of ,906 economic operators, NGOs, public administrations and citizens responded to the Commission’s call for consultation ahead of this dialogue, including the European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA).
The European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA) has released its members’ replacement tyre sales figures for Q4 2024, showing a recovery in market performance across all segments compared to the same period in 2023. However, despite this positive trend, volumes in key segments remain below pre-pandemic levels.
Commenting further on the European Union’s Competitive Compass, the European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA), calls it an “important step toward strengthening Europe’s industrial base.” However, the association believes its success will depend on clear implementation and enforcement measures, regulatory consistency, and meaningful industry engagement.
Introducing its new Competitiveness Compass, the European Commission states that “Europe has many economic strengths but must act now to regain its competitiveness and secure its prosperity.” It opines that “a resolute European response is urgently needed” to safeguard the 27-member union’s future as an “economic powerhouse” where products and investments are made. The answer, the Commission shares, is “A Competitiveness Compass of the EU.”
The European Commission has welcomed the provisional political agreement reached between the European Parliament and the Council on its proposal to delay the start of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) by 12 months, claiming this longer phase-in period will “ensure proper and effective implementation” while “preserving its integrity.”
A report prepared for the European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA) shows the extent of the European tyre industry’s contribution to the regional economy last year. This analysis by Oxford Economics shows that in 2023, the tyre manufacturing sector supported an estimated total contribution to the European Union’s GDP of around €44 billion and sustained almost 500,000 jobs across the region.
The EU Council has agreed to postpone the application of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) by 12 months, a decision that the European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers Association “regrets”. The tyre makers’ representative believes that pushing back the start dates “brings a new phase of uncertainty” into an industry that “needs predictability, and action from the European Commission to bring further clarity and solve the remaining issues standing in the way of a full and fair implementation of the Regulation.”
Tomorrow, the European Parliament will vote on a proposed amendment to the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) that would postpone its date of entry into application from 30 December 2024 to 30 December 2025, and until 30 June 2026 for small and micro-enterprises, and delay the benchmarking deadline to 30 June 2025. The European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association (ETRMA) warns against this postponement.
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