Noise
The Green Paper
The Green Paper on Future Noise Policy (COM(96) 540) adopted
and published by the Commission in November 1996 was the first
step in the development of a noise policy with the aim that
no person should be exposed to noise levels which endanger
health and quality of life (Fifth Environmental Action Programme).
Introduction
Environmental noise, caused by traffic, industrial and recreational
activities is one of the main local environmental problems
in Europe and the source of an increasing number of complaints
from the public. Generally however action to reduce environmental
noise has had a lower priority than that taken to address
other environmental problems such as air and water pollution.
The 1993 Fifth Action Programme
started to remedy this and included a number of basic targets
for noise exposure to be reached by the year 2000, while the
recent proposal on the review of the Fifth Action Programme
(COM(95)647) announces the development of a noise abatement
programme for action to meet these targets.
This Green Paper is the first step in the development
of such a programme and aims to stimulate public discussion
on the future approach to noise policy. It reviews the overall
noise situation in the Community and national action taken
to date followed by the outline of a framework for action
covering the improvement of information and its comparability
and future options for the noise from different sources.
The Noise Situation in the European
Union
The data available on noise exposure is generally poor in
comparison to that collected to measure other environmental
problems and often difficult to compare due to the different
measurement and assessment methods. However it has been estimated
that around 20 percent of the Union’s population or
close on 80 million people suffer from noise levels that scientists
and health experts consider to be unacceptable, where
most people become annoyed, where sleep is disturbed and where
adverse health effects are to be feared. An additional 170
million citizens are living in so-called "grey areas"
where the noise levels are such to cause serious annoyance
during the daytime.
Analysis of Existing Noise Abatement
Actions in the European Union
For more than twenty years Community environmental noise
policy has essentially consisted of legislation fixing maximum
sound levels for vehicles, aeroplanes and machines with a
single market aim, or to implement international agreements
in the case of aircraft, linked to certification procedures
to ensure that new vehicles and equipment are, at the time
of manufacture complying with the noise limits laid down in
the directives.
Thanks to this legislation and technological progress significant
reductions of noise from individual sources have been achieved.
For example the noise from individual cars has been reduced
by 85% since 1970 and the noise from lorries by 90%. Likewise
for aircraft footprint around an airport made by a modern
jet has been reduced by a factor of 9 compared to an aircraft
with 1970s technology.
However data covering the past 15 years do not show significant
improvements in exposure to environmental noise especially
road traffic noise. The growth and spread of traffic of
traffic in space and time and the development of leisure activities
and tourism have partly offset the technological improvements.
Forecast road and air traffic growth and the expansion of
high speed rail risk exacerbating the noise problem. In the
case of motor vehicles other factors are also important such
as the dominance of tyre noise above quite low speeds (50km/h)
and the absence of regular noise inspection and maintenance
procedures.
For some sources such as railways and a wide range of noisy
equipment used outdoors there are no Community or international
standards setting emission limits. A number of Member States
are planning national legislation for these products, which
could cause problems for the functioning of the single market.
Most Member States have adopted legislation or recommendations
setting immission limits for noise exposure in sensitive areas.
These are often integrated into national abatement laws and
used in land use plans especially for new infrastructure developments.
A survey done for the Commission has shown a considerable
degree of convergence between Member States in the establishment
of such quality criteria for road, rail and industrial noise.
The situation for aircraft noise indices and exposure levels
is more divergent.
A New Framework for Noise Policy
In the light of the poor state of data on noise exposure
and the shortcomings identified in the analysis of existing
policy measures, the Commission believes that changes in the
overall approach are required if a noise abatement policy
is to be successful. This requires a framework based on shared
responsibility involving target setting, monitoring of progress
and measures to improve the accuracy and standardisation of
data to help improve the coherency of different actions.
The local nature of noise problems does not mean that all
action is best taken at local level, as for example generally
the sources of environmental noise are not of local origin.
However effective action is very dependent on strong local
and national policies and these need to be more closely related
to the measures to be decided at Community level. In this
context there is scope for co-operation across the Community
to improve the data situation and the comparability of information
and in addition the Community could assist in the exchange
of experience in noise abatement between Member States. The
main area for Community involvement will remain linked to
the reduction of noise from products. Here the Commission
will be looking to broaden the range of instruments applied
and paying particular attention to the potential of economic
instruments, whose use to date is not widespread in noise
abatement.
The proposed new framework outlines options for future action:
- A proposal for a directive providing for the harmonisation
of methods of assessment of noise exposure and the mutual
exchange of information. The proposal could include
recommendations on noise mapping and the provision of information
on noise exposure to the public. In a second stage consideration
could be given to the establishment of target values and
the obligation to take action to reach the targets.
- The next phase of action to reduce road traffic
noise will address tyre noise and look at the possibilities
of integrating noise costs into fiscal instruments, amending
Community legislation on road worthiness tests to include
noise and at the promotion of low noise surfaces through
Community funding.
- More attention needs to be paid to rail noise
where some Member States are planning national legislation
and where there is considerable opposition to the expansion
of rail capacity due to excessive noise. In addition to
supporting research in this field the Commission will investigate
the feasibility of introducing legislation setting emission
limit values, negotiated agreements with the rail industry
on targets for emission values and economic instruments
such as a variable track charge.
- In air transport the Commission is also
looking at a combination of instruments. This could include
greater stringency in emission values and the use of economic
instruments to encourage the development and use of lower
noise aircraft, as well as the contribution local measures
such as land use planning could make. A specific framework
directive on airport charges is planned for 1996. A consultation
paper on stringency in emission values is to be presented
in the near future.
- The Commission plans to simplify the existing
legislation setting emission limits range of outdoor
equipment and propose a framework directive covering a wider
range of equipment including construction machinery, garden
equipment and others and incorporate the existing seven
directives. The principal feature of the new legislation
will be the requirement to label all equipment with the
guaranteed noise level. Limit values will only be proposed
for equipment for which there is already noise legislation
and a limited range of highly, noisy equipment.
Conclusion
One of the main aims of this paper is to help to give noise
abatement a higher priority in policy making. It is
focusing on the areas where Community action in co-operation
with Member States and local authorities can be of added value.
The options for action on measurement methods and exchange
of information cover important steps for the establishment
of an overall framework for action. More work is required
to assess the best combination of instruments to be applied
to the different modes of transport.
The full text
of the Green Paper is available for downloading.
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