Brussels, 14/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - Common noise assessment methods in Europe (CNOSSOS-EU) were published on Friday 14 September by the European Commission to allow exposure to noise from transport (road, rail and air traffic) and from industry to be assessed more easily, and for coherent and comparative data to be provided on noise levels to which Europeans are exposed. The ultimate aim is to reduce those levels.
The new methods, which have been perfected by the Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC), will help the European Commission to set a harmonised methodology in place by the end of 2013. This will give EU member states an instrument that they will be able to begin using to establish the next round of EU-wide strategic noise mapping in 2017, and will facilitate the drafting of detailed action plans to prevent and reduce the public's exposure to harmful noise levels.
Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik said: “Noise is a serious environmental risk to public health, especially in urban areas due to increased transport and inefficient urban planning. CNOSSOS-EU will help the European Commission harmonise the methods used to assess exposure to noise, making data comparable. I hope it will pave the way to more appropriate and efficient measures to address increasing noise exposure in Europe. This is one of the elements in a more systematic approach to tackling noise”.
The environmental noise directive (2002/49/EC) requires EU member states to determine the exposure to environmental noise through strategic noise mapping and detailed action plans for noise reduction. The first EU-wide noise mapping exercise in 2007 found considerable differences in assessment methods, data collection and quality. That is a weakness to be put right.
Increasing public exposure to noise has an enormous cost in terms of health and the economy. Traffic-related noise may account for over one million healthy life years lost in Europe. The social costs of traffic, rail and road noise across the European Union were recently estimated at €40 billion per year, equivalent to 0.35% of the EU's GDP. According to the European Commission's 2011 White Paper on transport, traffic noise-related external costs will be €20 billion higher per year by 2050 (compared to 2005) unless further action is taken. (AN/transl.jl)