Considerations on COM(2000)468 - Assessment and Management of Environmental Noise - Main contents
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This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
| dossier | COM(2000)468 - Assessment and Management of Environmental Noise. |
|---|---|
| document | COM(2000)468  |
| date | June 25, 2002 |
(2) In its Resolution of 10 June 1997(5) on the Commission Green Paper, the European Parliament expressed its support for that Green Paper, urged that specific measures and initiatives should be laid down in a Directive on the reduction of environmental noise, and noted the lack of reliable, comparable data regarding the situation of the various noise sources.
(3) A common noise indicator and a common methodology for noise calculation and measurement around airports were identified in the Commission Communication of 1 December 1999 on Air Transport and the Environment. This communication has been taken into account in the provisions of this Directive.
(4) Certain categories of noise emissions from products are already covered by Community legislation, such as Council Directive 70/157/EEC of 6 February 1970 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the permissible sound level and the exhaust system of motor vehicles(6), Council Directive 77/311/EEC of 29 March 1977 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the driver-perceived noise level of wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors(7), Council Directive 80/51/EEC of 20 December 1979 on the limitation of noise emissions from subsonic aircraft(8) and its complementary directives, Council Directive 92/61/EEC of 30 June 1992 relating to the type-approval of two or three-wheel motor vehicles(9) and Directive 2000/14/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 May 2000 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the noise emission in the environment by equipment for use outdoors(10).
(5) This Directive should inter alia provide a basis for developing and completing the existing set of Community measures concerning noise emitted by the major sources, in particular road and rail vehicles and infrastructure, aircraft, outdoor and industrial equipment and mobile machinery, and for developing additional measures, in the short, medium and long term.
(6) Certain categories of noise such as noise created inside means of transport and noise from domestic activities should not be subject to this Directive.
(7) In accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty, the Treaty objectives of achieving a high level of protection of the environment and of health will be better reached by complementing the action of the Member States by a Community action achieving a common understanding of the noise problem. Data about environmental noise levels should therefore be collected, collated or reported in accordance with comparable criteria. This implies the use of harmonised indicators and evaluation methods, as well as criteria for the alignment of noise-mapping. Such criteria and methods can best be established by the Community.
(8) It is also necessary to establish common assessment methods for 'environmental noise' and a definition for 'limit values', in terms of harmonised indicators for the determination of noise levels. The concrete figures of any limit values are to be determined by the Member States, taking into account, inter alia, the need to apply the principle of prevention in order to preserve quiet areas in agglomerations.
(9) The selected common noise indicators are Lden, to assess annoyance, and Lnight, to assess sleep disturbance. It is also useful to allow Member States to use supplementary indicators in order to monitor or control special noise situations.
(10) Strategic noise mapping should be imposed in certain areas of interest as it can capture the data needed to provide a representation of the noise levels perceived within that area.
(11) Action plans should address priorities in those areas of interest and should be drawn up by the competent authorities in consultation with the public.
(12) In order to have a wide spread of information to the public, the most appropriate information channels should be selected.
(13) Data collection and the consolidation of suitable Community-wide reports are required as a basis for future Community policy and for further information of the public.
(14) An evaluation of the implementation of this Directive should be carried out regularly by the Commission.
(15) The technical provisions governing the assessment methods should be supplemented and adapted as necessary to technical and scientific progress and to progress in European standardisation.
(16) The measures necessary for the implementation of this Directive should be adopted in accordance with Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission(11).