PURPOSE : to ensure the ongoing functioning of the internal market by requiring equipment used outdoors to comply with harmonised environmental noise provisions.

LEGISLATIVE ACT : Directive 2005/88/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2000/14/EC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the noise emission in the environment by equipment for use outdoors.

CONTENT : t his directive was adopted at first reading under the co-decision procedure after the Council reached agreement with the European Parliament.

The directive modifies current EU rules established by the "noise directive" (2000/14/EC), for types of equipment where permissible sound power levels apply, mainly in order to:

- allow certain types of equipment to be placed on the market and/or put into service in the EU from 3 January 2006;

- provide the Commission with sufficient time to fulfil its obligations on reporting and collection of data.

The noise directive imposes mandatory noise emission limits in certain machines in two stages: the first came into force in 2002 and the second will take effect on 3 January 2006. It sets maximum permissible sound power levels and mandatory noise emission labelling for 22 types of equipment and mandatory noise emission labelling for 35 types of equipment. Since January 2002, the 57 types of equipment must satisfy the requirements of the noise directive before being placed on the market or put into service within the internal market.

ENTRY INTO FORCE : 27/12/2005.

DATE OF TRANSPOSITION : 31/12/2005.

DATE OF APPLICATION : 03/01/2006.

The European Parliament adopted the resolution drafted by Karl-Heinz FLORENZ (EPP-ED, DE) and made two amendments to the Commission’s text:

- For single-engine mobile cranes, the figures for Stage I shall continue to apply until 3 January 2008. After that date, Stage II figures shall apply.

-In accordance with the Interinstitutional agreement on better law making, Member States are encouraged to draw up, for themselves and in the interest of the Community, their own tables illustrating, as far as possible, the correlation between the Directive and the transposition measures, and to make them public.

The European Parliament adopted the resolution drafted by Karl-Heinz FLORENZ (EPP-ED, DE) and made two amendments to the Commission’s text:

- For single-engine mobile cranes, the figures for Stage I shall continue to apply until 3 January 2008. After that date, Stage II figures shall apply.

-In accordance with the Interinstitutional agreement on better law making, Member States are encouraged to draw up, for themselves and in the interest of the Community, their own tables illustrating, as far as possible, the correlation between the Directive and the transposition measures, and to make them public.

The committee adopted the report by Karl-Heinz FLORENZ ( EPP-ED , DE ) approving the proposal under the 1st reading of the codecision procedure, subject to just one amendment. This aimed to include single-engine mobile cranes in the list of types of equipment for which the stage II limit values would be indicative only (rather than definitive), in view of the technical impossibility of achieving those limits for the time being.

PURPOSE: To amend the EU’s Noise Directive.

PROPOSED ACT: Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council.

CONTENT: This proposal provides for an amendment to Directive 2000/14 known as the Noise Directive. The Directive became applicable on a voluntary basis on 3 July 2001 and, since 3 January 2002, fifty-seven types of equipment listed in the Directive must satisfy the requirements of the Noise Directive before being placed on the market or put into service. In light of advice given to the Commission from the Noise Steering Group (otherwise known as WG7), the Commission is proposing to amend Directive 2000/14 in order to:

- Allow certain types of equipment (for which clear evidence has been provided that the stage II limits are not technically feasible for the moment) to be placed on the market and/or put into service in the EU from 3 January 2006. The list of equipment referred to are: Lawn mowers, lawn trimmers and lawn edge trimmers, walk behind vibratory rollers, vibratory plates (>3kW), vibratory rammers, dozers (steel tracked), loaders (steel tracked >50kW), combustion-engine driven counterbalanced lift trucks, compacting screed paver finishers and hand-held internal combustion engine concrete breakers and picks (15<m<30). The proposed amendment will make the stage II permissible sound power levels for the above equipment indicative only. Definitive figures will depend on amendment of the Noise Directive following the Report foreseen in Article 20 (See below).

- Provide the Commission with sufficient time to fulfil its obligations under Article 16 and 20 of the Noise Directive. Article 16 obliges the Commission to collect annual information from industry on declarations of conformity including, inter alia , information relating to sound power levels. Article 20 obliges the Commission to present two separate Reports; the first on the Directive’s implementation and the second on whether and to what extent technical progress allows for a reduction of limit values to the indicative sound power levels shown for stage II lawnmowers, lawn trimmers and lawn edge trimmers. The Reports were to have been submitted on 03/01/2005 and 03/07/2002 respectively. The Commission argues that it needs additional time to prepare both reports and is proposing to amend the Noise Directive to take account of this fact. The amendment would result in the Commission preparing one single Report for submission on 01/01/2007.

- To allow for the incorporation of two Reports foreseen in the Noise Directive.

The proposal has no implications for the Community budget.

PURPOSE: To amend the EU’s Noise Directive.

PROPOSED ACT: Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council.

CONTENT: This proposal provides for an amendment to Directive 2000/14 known as the Noise Directive. The Directive became applicable on a voluntary basis on 3 July 2001 and, since 3 January 2002, fifty-seven types of equipment listed in the Directive must satisfy the requirements of the Noise Directive before being placed on the market or put into service. In light of advice given to the Commission from the Noise Steering Group (otherwise known as WG7), the Commission is proposing to amend Directive 2000/14 in order to:

- Allow certain types of equipment (for which clear evidence has been provided that the stage II limits are not technically feasible for the moment) to be placed on the market and/or put into service in the EU from 3 January 2006. The list of equipment referred to are: Lawn mowers, lawn trimmers and lawn edge trimmers, walk behind vibratory rollers, vibratory plates (>3kW), vibratory rammers, dozers (steel tracked), loaders (steel tracked >50kW), combustion-engine driven counterbalanced lift trucks, compacting screed paver finishers and hand-held internal combustion engine concrete breakers and picks (15<m<30). The proposed amendment will make the stage II permissible sound power levels for the above equipment indicative only. Definitive figures will depend on amendment of the Noise Directive following the Report foreseen in Article 20 (See below).

- Provide the Commission with sufficient time to fulfil its obligations under Article 16 and 20 of the Noise Directive. Article 16 obliges the Commission to collect annual information from industry on declarations of conformity including, inter alia , information relating to sound power levels. Article 20 obliges the Commission to present two separate Reports; the first on the Directive’s implementation and the second on whether and to what extent technical progress allows for a reduction of limit values to the indicative sound power levels shown for stage II lawnmowers, lawn trimmers and lawn edge trimmers. The Reports were to have been submitted on 03/01/2005 and 03/07/2002 respectively. The Commission argues that it needs additional time to prepare both reports and is proposing to amend the Noise Directive to take account of this fact. The amendment would result in the Commission preparing one single Report for submission on 01/01/2007.

- To allow for the incorporation of two Reports foreseen in the Noise Directive.

The proposal has no implications for the Community budget.