Noise-related operating restrictions at Community airports

The committee adopted the report by Georg JARZEMBOWSKI (EPP-ED, D) broadly approving the proposal under the codecision procedure (1st reading), subject to a number of mainly technical amendments aimed at tightening up the proposed measures. It felt that the exemption allowing the noisiest aircraft registered in developing countries to continue operating should be time-limited to a period of 10 years and that the exemption should apply only to specific airports already used by the exempted aeroplanes, so as to prevent them from moving to other airports in the Community. It also said that noise restriction measures should be non-discriminatory on grounds of origin of aircraft manufacturer. Other amendments adopted by the committee included a call for the public notice (to be given when any new operating restriction is decided on) to include a detailed justification of the decision, with reference to all four elements of the balanced approach. The report also said that the criterion for requiring a reduction in operations should be the number of movements operated at the airport in question and not the mix of the operator's fleet, as stated in the proposal. Lastly, MEPs wanted the Commission, when proposing the future revision of the directive, to lay down a more stringent requirement for defining "marginally compliant" aeroplanes. �