Noise pollution directive: a far cry from effective

A study by the European Court of Auditors, released in January, underlined the lack of EU-wide noise reduction targets and also pointed to lax monitoring of noise pollution in many countries.

More than 30% of the European population is exposed to noise levels harmful to humans. The young are the most sensitive, with more than 60,000 children in Europe suffering from cognitive and learning problems as a result.

The Environmental Noise Directive has been in place for over 20 years but has never been revised, leading to government inaction in many countries where there are no legally binding targets.

"Member states are required to produce plans to monitor the level of noise in the busy parts of the road network and in cities. But beyond reporting to the Commission, they don't actually have to do anything and a few governments have been reluctant even to produce these noise maps on time," said Robert Hodgson, who reports on the environment for Euronews.

Prolonged exposure to harmful noise can cause cardiovascular, metabolic and mental health diseases, and citizens euronews spoke to in Brussels and Athens expressed many concerns.

"When I wake up in the morning, there's the sound of horns honking on my street. These are things that can affect my mood throughout the day and my life in the long run," said a young resident of Brussels.

"Surely they could take some measures, they could reduce the decibels produced by the exhausts and use better technology," added an Athenian.

EU-wide noise reduction targets missing

According to the World Health Organisation, noise levels are considered excessive when they exceed 53 dB; a lower bar than the 55 dB threshold set by the European Union.

Road traffic is the main source of noise pollution (80%), followed by rail traffic (15%) and air transport (1%). Austria, Cyprus, Czechia, France and Luxembourg are the EU member states with the highest percentage of urban residents exposed to excessive noise.

The European Commission has set a new target to reduce the number of people chronically affected by noise pollution by 30% by the end of this decade.

The EU executive also said that it might look into reviewing the directive and setting a binding target if it deems this necessary, but decisions will not be taken before 2029.

"We need a better monitoring system and clearer provisions on what amounts to noise pollution and what are the specific obligations of member states," insisted Peter Agius, a centre-right member of the European Parliament form Malta that has been active in this field within the Public Health and Committee.

"Some definitions are sometimes vague and are interpreted in different ways in different member states," he added.

It's a sign of poor implementation that more than half of the 27 Member States have not provided data on noise pollution, as required by the EU directive. Experts warn that without more ambitious action, the number of people suffering serious harm from transport noise could even increase.

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Journalist: Isabel Marques da Silva

Content production: Pilar Montero López

Video production: Zacharia Vigneron

Graphism: Loredana Dumitru

Editorial coordination: Ana Lázaro Bosch and Jeremy Fleming-Jones