Brussels, 12/02/2013 (Agence Europe) - A mixed welcome greeted the European Parliament vote on the new draft regulation on motor vehicle noise emissions (see EUROPE 10780). The EHPA (European Public Health Alliance), consisting of the public health NGOs, patient groups, health care professionals and groups representing the sick and HEAL (The Health and Environment Alliance), consider that the limits agreed will not necessarily protect the health of EU citizens. They also believe that this has been a missed opportunity for drastically tightening up obsolete standards that go back to 1995, despite the fact that the number of cars on the roads in Europe has increased, currently 250 million and still rising. The EPHA deplored the fact that “the majority of European Parliamentarians, have turned a blind eye to the people's concerns and have prioritised the automobile industry over everyone's health and well-being”. Monica Kosinska, secretary general of the organisation, even spoke of a “depressing lack of commitment when it comes to tackling the noise pollution disturbing millions of lives in different, in many cases, dramatic degrees”. She pointed out that noise pollution from road traffic killed 1 million people in Western Europe every year. She is hoping that member state governments at the Council of Europe will improve this draft regulation before it is finally adopted.
EBU pleased. The European Blind Union, which represents blind and partially sighted people in Europe, welcomes the amendment voted for by the European Parliament for future electric vehicles to be equipped with an AVAS alert system to make them more audible. The rate of accidents involving silent vehicles on the roads is twice as high as cars with motor engines and, while they represent a danger to all pedestrians, they are particularly dangerous for blind and partially sighted people. The EBU emphasises that this danger will increase if the sales of silent vehicles increase. Wolfgang Anger Mann, the president of the EBU was happy to have had a hearing at Parliament and declared that “blind and partially sighted people have a right to be out in the streets. Silent cars are dangerous and minimum noise levels to ensure our safety is paramount”. He is calling on the Council to do likewise and approved Parliament's amendment. (AN/transl.fl)