Assessment and management of environmental noise

The Conciliation Committee reached agreement on the text of the directive on environmental noise. The agreement covers the following main issues: - the new directive will contain a binding commitment to follow-up legislation to tackle the major sources of noise pollution across the EU, in particular the noise from rail, road and air traffic and building sites. To this end the Commission will be required to publish a review, within 18 months, of existing Community measures related to noise and then, based on this report, it will issue 'appropriate legislative proposals' within four years of the entry into force of the directive; - Parliament succeeded in bringing forward by two years (to 31 December 2008) the deadline within which Member States have to inform the Commission of the preparation of the second stage of noise mapping (showing all the agglomerations and all the major roads and major railways in the Member States); - the compromise provides for a tightening of the range of decibels to be used in measuring the level of noise to which people are exposed, to allow for a better protection of quiet areas.�