A new European regulation which will introduce eco-labels to tyres in the second half of 2012 has raised confusion about how it will operate at dealerships in the UK.

Under the new regulations, formally revealed at the end of November, all tyres sold from the start of November 2012 will have to carry eco-labels similar to those for cars or washing machines. All new tyres produced from 1 July will have to carry the new stickers. However, tyres are not allowed to be labelled before 1 June in order to give tyre manufacturers time to adapt.

The labels will show buyers three areas of performance; fuel efficiency (measured as rolling resistance), noise (measured in decibels) and wet braking (in distance). The regulations also state that, before buying any new tyre, the customer must be informed of the tyre’s score on the label or shown the label. The details must then also be included on the invoice.

The regulations are to be enforced at the transaction point, which means that it is the retailers responsibility, rather than the tyre manufacturer, to make sure they are compliant. While operating the new system within parts and aftersales departments should be straight forward, the regulations also apply to the tyres on new cars.

In theory this means that, before a customer buys a new car they must be made aware of the eco-rating of the tyres that will be on the car. However, because manufacturers can use several different makes of tyre as original equipment and it’s near impossible to know what sort of tyres the car will arrive on, it makes informing the customer very difficult.

As if that wasn’t enough, the UK Government has yet to decide which organisation will enforce the new EU rules - or what the penalties will be if a business is found to be in contravention of the regulation.

Tyre manufacturers believe the most likely authorities to be in charge of enforcement will be either Trading Standards or Vehicle Certification Agency. Auto Retail Bulletin’s sources suggest the VCA expects to be the enforcement body.

Tyre manufacturer, Continental, has warned it expects consumer journalists from publishers such as Which? to investigate if the new law was being adhered to.

Continental’s UK boss David Smith suggested two solutions to the issue with tyre labels on new cars to Auto Retail Bulletin. He believed car makers would either reduce the number of OE suppliers or ask the tyre suppliers to offer tyres with exact and identical scores on the eco-labels.

 Key points from the new regulations:

* Retailers must inform customers of the tyre’s ‘score’ or show the label before purchase

* Label must be shown on the invoice

* Regulations apply to all new tyres, including those on new cars

* Retailer, not manufacturer, is responsible for ensuring labels are shown