Directive 2002/49/EC: historical overview, aims and main features
Adoption of Directive 2002/49/EC (2/2)
European Commission identified essentially three possible options for action by EU:
- a reduction of the noise at source, which would mean continuing with the establishment and updating of permitted noise levels of products (vehicles, machines etc.)
- a placing barriers between the source of noise and the people who are affected by it, which would concern, for example, the location of industrial installations or the construction of by-passes for agglomerations, or the building of tunnels or noise walls along roads or airport runways
- a reduction of noise at the reception point, which would concern, for example, the insulation or the double glazing of windows
European Commission did not discuss the option of setting binding quality levels for noise, i.e., levels which were not to be exceeded in a given area or during a given time of the day (for example at night). It rather concentrated on the possibility of further reducing the noise emissions from products.
The Green Paper did not lead to a broad discussion on the protection against noise pollution. In particular the transport administrations and the car, railway and aircraft industries at a Member State and at EU level objected to the establishment of EU quality limit values for noise. This was consequent from their point of view, as the noise emanating from vehicles, railways and airplanes was monitored by the transport sector, while quality limit values would be developed and monitored by the environmental sector. This discussion finally ended with the adoption of Directive 2002/49/EC.