The committee adopted the report by Adamos ADAMOU(GUE/NGL, CY) broadly approving the proposal under the 1st reading of the codecision procedure, subject to a few amendments:
- although it agreed with the Commission's proposed method for determining the carcinogenity of certain oils (extender oils could only be placed on the market and used for tyres if they contained less than 1mg/kg BaP and if the sum of the listed PAHs did not exceed 10 mg/kg), the committee also wanted to add another method advocated by the tyre and oil industry, namely, IP 346. Extender oils would therefore have to contain less than 3% PAC-dimethyl sulfoxide extract as measured by the IP 346 method. By allowing either of these approaches, MEPs argued that it would be possible to increase the range of non-carcinogenic potential rubber extender oils permitted to be used, without affecting the level of protection afforded to the public and the environment as intended by the Commission proposal;
- the proposed date for implementation of the directive should be extended by one year, to give industry time to develop products meeting the new criteria. The committee therefore proposed that the provisions should apply as from 1 January 2010. However, exceptions should be made for tyres produced before this date and being sold off from stocks. Moreover, a time-limited transitional period, ending on 1 January 2012, should be granted for vintage tyres, specialist tyres imported in limited numbers into the EU for Original Equipment (OE) and 'special purpose vehicles';
- a measuring method should be applied for implementation of the directive, and the committee proposed the analytical method under ISO 21461:200x, with a limit value of less than or equal to 0.35% bay proton.