Noise-related operating restrictions at Community airports

PURPOSE : to establish rules and procedures with regard to the introduction of noise related operating restrictions at Community airports. CONTENT : with a view to safeguarding the environmental protection objective of not having an increase in the number of people exposed to aeroplane noise after 2002 in a manner which is compatible with internal market requirements, the Commission proposes a common set of rules and principles with regard to noise related-operating restrictions in the framework of a balanced approach on noise management. This draft proposal implements and develops further at Community level the ICAO guidance on noise management as endorsed by the 33rd ICAO Assembly which was held from 25 September to 5 October 2001. A new, more stringent noise certification standard, defined in Chapter 4 of the Volume 1, Part III of Annex 16 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, has been established within the framework of the ICAO and will contribute to an improvement in the noise climate around airports in the longer term. The Chapter 4 standard has been established for certification of aeroplanes and not as a basis for the introduction of operating restrictions. The gradual removal of Chapter 2 aeroplanes in application of Directive 92/14/EEC will be completed on 1 April 2002 and new measures will be required to prevent a deterioration in the noise climate after 2002, assuming continued growth of air transport in Europe. A common framework of rules and procedures for the introduction of operating restrictions at Community airports, as part of a balanced approach on noise management, will help safeguard internal market requirements by introducing similar operating restrictions at airports with broadly comparable noise problems. This includes assessment of the noise impact at an airport and evaluations of the measures available to alleviate that impact, and selection of the appropriate mitigation measures with the goal of achieving the maximum environmental benefit most cost effectively.�