Activites

• 2002/07/18 Final act published in Official Journal
  • Directive 2002/49
  • OJ L 189 18.07.2002, p. 0012-0026
• 2002/06/25 Final act signed
• 2002/06/25 End of procedure in Parliament
• #2426
• 2002/05/21 Council Meeting
• 2002/05/15 Decision by Parliament, 3rd reading
  • T5-0232/2002 summary

    The European Parliament approved the joint text agreed by the Conciliation Committee. �

• 2002/05/14 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 2002/04/08 Joint text approved by Conciliation Committee co-chairs
  • 3611/2002
• 2002/02/26 Formal meeting of Conciliation Committee
• 2002/02/06 Report tabled for plenary, 3rd reading
  • A5-0121/2002
• #2404
• 2002/01/21 Council Meeting
• 2001/10/03 Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading
  • T5-0491/2001 summary

    The European Parliament is holding out in its drive to establish an EU-wide policy to reduce noise pollution. It has voted at second reading to repeat its demand at first reading, rejected by the Council, for the draft directive on noise to be beefed up into a Noise Framework Directive, to be followed by proposal for specific directives laying down binding quality standards to be implemented by the Member States. However, Parliament does not specify the types of noise to be covered. An amendment calling for these proposals to be issued within three years of the framework directive's entry into force was passed by 345 votes to 194 with 6 abstentions. Parliament has left in tact all but one of the longer deadlines for implementing the legislation inserted by the Council in its common position, reinstating only the Commission's original deadline of 31 December 2008 by which Member States must inform the Commission of all the agglomerations and all the major roads and major railways in their territories. Partly in the light of the recent terrorist attacks, Parliament is no longer seeking to include noise from military aircraft in the directive and is not opposing a Council amendment that adds a new exemption for 'military activities in military areas'. The House has also tightened up some of the draft directive's provisions, including its stated aim to 'avoid, prevent or reduce harmful effects on human health due to exposure to environmental noise, which rapporteur Alexander DE ROO (Greens/EFA, NL) says now affects one third of the inhabitants of the European Union.�

• 2001/10/01 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 2001/09/12 Vote in committee, 2nd reading
  • A5-0296/2001
• 2001/06/13 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 2nd reading
• #2355
• 2001/06/07 Council Meeting
  • 06660/2001 summary

    22 of the 37 amendments proposed by the European Parliament were accepted by the Commission. 16 of these amendments have been incorporated in the common position. The Council accepted all amendments which allowed transitional arrangements for noise assessment, and which reduced the burden of information required from Member States. It also accepted in principle the amendments strengthening arrangements for public consultation, and many of the amendments which offered small extensions to the remit of the proposal, as well as those which usefully clarified the definitions. The Council did not accept the amendments proposing daughter directives on new limit values on noise emissions from source, because it would be premature to set limit values in this proposal. There is currently not sufficient harmonised information about noise to be able to set limit values for Europe. It should suffice at this stage to establish noise maps and action plans around airports and to envisage submitting proposals for more stringent noise emission limits for aircraft. �

• #2321
• 2000/12/18 Council Meeting
• 2000/12/14 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T5-0574/2000 summary

    The European Parliament has endorsed the report by Mr Alexander de ROO (Greens/EFA, NL) with amendments. (Please refer to the previous document). It should be added that the Parliament is calling on the Commission to submit proposals within 18 months for 'daughter directives'.�

• 2000/12/13 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 2000/12/04 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A5-0378/2000
• #2295
• 2000/10/10 Council Meeting
  • 2295 summary

    The Council held an open policy debate which made clear the desire of delegations to reach a common position on the subject as soon as possible. The delegations recognised the usefulness of: - common noise indicators which might be used to establish comparable noise maps, subject to examination of such indicators and on the establishment of a reasonable timeframe for their introduction; - the establishment by the competent authorities in the Member States of action plans to reduce the harmful effects of exposure to noise, subject to determination of their scope and content and subject to a balanced being found between Community obligations and the flexibility needed to allow the development of national, regional and local initiatives and the development of Community policy on the sources of noise (motors and machinery used outdoors, vehicles, etc); - the Commission drawing up an interim survey setting forth the lessons to be learned from the implementation of the Directive, and outlining prospects for the future. The Council agreed to return to this subject at its December meeting, with the aim of reaching a common position in the light of the Opinion of the European Parliament.�

• 2000/09/08 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 2000/07/26 Legislative proposal published
  • COM(2000)0468 summary

    PURPOSE : to present a proposal for a Directive relating to the assessment and management of environmental noise. CONTENT : the objective of this proposal is to establish a common EU framework for the assessment and management of exposure to environmental noise. Public concern about exposure to noise pollution remains high in spite of EU legislation on noise sources and legislation in some Member States and remedial actions at the local level. So far, legislation on environmental noise is divided into two major categories, namely, EU legislation on noise emission by products (cars, trucks, aircraft equipment and industrial equipment) - essentially market access laws for type testing of conformity - Member States legislation on allowable noise levels in the domestic environment. However, this legislation was seen as unsatisfactory and in view of these conclusions this proposed Directive supplies the essential elements for a more coherent and effective approach. First, it seeks to harmonise noise indicators and assessment methods for environmental noise. Noise from different sources has different dose-effect relations and this can be defined as different pollutants. Second, using these common indicators and assessment methods, it seeks to gather noise exposure information in the form of 'noise maps'. Third it aims to make this information available for the public. This exposure information will form the basis for action plans at the local level. Equally, it will form the basis for goal setting for improvement at the EU level and for the development of an EU strategy including measures. The Directive requires the Member States to indicate the limit values currently in force or under preparation in terms of the harmonised indicators. It should be noted that this proposal does not seek to set common European-wide noise limits. However, once Member States have published national limits for each pollutant and noise maps and action plans are published, both the public and authorities will be able to compare noise situations, approaches and progress. The Commission believes that this will be strong mechanism to drive future improvement. �

  • DG [{'url': 'http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/environment/', 'title': 'Environment'}],

Documents

• Legislative proposal published: COM(2000)0468
• Debate in Council: 2295
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A5-0378/2000
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T5-0574/2000
• Council position published: 06660/2001
• Committee recommendation tabled for plenary, 2nd reading: A5-0296/2001
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading: T5-0491/2001
• Report tabled for plenary, 3rd reading: A5-0121/2002
• Joint text approved by Conciliation Committee co-chairs: 3611/2002
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 3rd reading: T5-0232/2002
• : Directive 2002/49
• : OJ L 189 18.07.2002, p. 0012-0026

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)