The draft measures were backed by the European Parliament, which approved the proposals by large majority on Wednesday (22 April).
The new tyre label will use a fuel-efficiency classification similar to the energy label for washing machines and fridges, with performance rated from 'A' (best) to 'G' (worst).
The draft text still needs the backing of the Council of Ministers, which represents the 27 EU member states and may express different views.
Parliament sources said they expected the proposal to be adopted in second reading "under the next legislature", as negotiations with member states have not formally opened yet.
European elections are due in June, and the new Parliament will not start its legislative work before the autumn.
One contentious issue is the high degree of detail that the Parliament inserted into the draft text. This includes a new obligation to include a "low-noise mark" depicting a tyre with earmuffs if rolling noise is kept below a certain decibel level.
There are also new obligations for suppliers to provide a "fuel savings calculator" on their websites to allow consumers to make informed choices.
MEPs also chose to modify the proposal from a directive - which usually requires a lengthy transposition process into national law - to a regulation, a more stringent legal instrument which leaves no room for EU countries to tailor rules to their national circumstances.
Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, a Liberal MEP from Germany, said tyre manufacturers had been asking for such unified measures. "That will on the one hand force tyre producers to fulfil entirely the rules as defined by the EU without delay by the implementation phase into national law. On the other hand, this is what producers asked for, in order not to suffer from potential differences in national implementation."
However, it is still unclear what the member states will decide. "It is possible that the Council will want less detail and prefers to keep it as a directive," the Parliament source said.
