Links between Directive 2002/49 and other noise-related EU legislation
Road traffic
For motor vehicles - passenger cars, busses and lorries - EU legislation on their sound level was first introduced in 1970 and has been amended several times. Most recently Regulation 540/2014 introduced new noise limit value levels, which will become applicable as of 2016, 2022 and 2026. These sound levels apply to new cars and range from 68 dB(A) - new passenger cars 2026 - to 82 dB(A) - new trucks 2016; a retrofitting of existing vehicles is not foreseen. Regulation 540/2014 also introduced a new method to test the sound level of cars. Unfortunately, though, European Commission's own Impact Assessment showed that with the new limit values and the increase in overall traffic, the introduction of the new limit values will have as a consequence that the number of "highly annoyed people" and "highly sleep disturbed people" will increase by 2030, and not decrease. 
Member States fix the areas, where no vehicles or no lorries are allowed to circulate, including night bans. Under Annex IIIa, No 4 of Directive 2011/76/EU, amending Directive 1999/62, they may charge heavy goods vehicles for the use of certain infrastructures also according to the noise caused by these vehicles.
The permissible sound levels for two-wheel and three-wheel vehicles under Chapter 9 of Directive 97/24/EC (including mopeds and motorcycles) range from 66 dB(A) to 80 dB(A). The legislation also contains measures to counter tampering of such vehicles.
Limit values for noise arising from contact between tires and road surfaces were introduced by Directive 2001/43/EC in 2001 and progressively made applicable. The admissible limit values vary between 70 dB(A) and 75 dB(A).