Navigation path

High level navigation

noise

Announcements

  • On 1 June 2011, the Commission published its first Implementation Report on the Environmental Noise Directive (Directive 2002/49/EC, END). The END enabled a step forward in addressing noise pollution at EU level. This report identified a number of achievements and at the same time, several implementation problems and other shortcomings have been identified during the last years which need to be addressed in the future.
    The Commission thinks that an open and broad consultation process including the dialogue with key stakeholders is essential as a follow up process of the Implementation Report. To this end, a stakeholder event was organised on 30 September in Brussels focusing on three elements of the Report, namely 1) improving implementation, 2) issues for further consideration and 3) source legislation.
    Presentations and the conclusions can be found here.
  • 08/09/2011: DG ENV will organise a stakeholder event on 30 September 2011 related to EU noise policy as a follow up of the recently published implementation report of the Environmental Noise Directive. More information on the registration, venue and on the agenda.
  • 01/06/2011: Commission published first implementation report
  • May 2010: The final report on the Review of the Implementation of Directive 2002/49/EC on Environmental Noise is available for the public.

Page navigation

Additional tools

  • Print version
  • Decrease text
  • Increase text

Noise

The EU Policy on environmental noise

Environmental noise "pollution" relates to ambient sound levels beyond the comfort levels as caused by traffic, construction, industrial, as well as some recreational activities. It can aggravate serious direct as well as indirect health effects, for example damage to hearing or sleep and later mental disorder, as well as increasing blood pressure. Noise effects can trigger premature illness and, in extreme cases, death. Night-time effects can differ significantly from day time impacts.

EU-wide action to reduce environmental noise has traditionally had a different priority compared to environmental problems such as air and water pollution also because solutions were often considered best handed at the national or local levels (i.e. there has always been an important subsidiarity consideration). In the early stages, EU regulations on noise management were based on internal market objectives. These were mainly focusing on setting harmonized noise limits for motor vehicles, household appliances and other noise-generating products. As more information about the health impacts of noise became available, the need for a higher level of protection of EU citizens through further EU-wide measures became more imminent.

The Environmental Noise Directive (2002/49/EC) is one of the main instruments to identify noise pollution levels and to trigger the necessary action at Member State level. The Commission has recently published a first implementation report (COM(2011) 321 final of 1 June 2011) which summarises the implementation progress to date and outlines possible ways forward to improve implementation and enhance effectiveness of EU's environmental noise policy.

Contacts

If you have any questions on the review or on the consultation process, please contact us.

 

| Top