Brussels, 28/01/2014 (Agence Europe) - The Commission will not be allowed to intervene in local “anti-noise” decisions near airports or in those that restrict air traffic. A trialogue agreement in this connection was reached on Monday 27 January with regard to the new European regulation on noise pollution, as part of the “airports” package, which aims to make airports more efficient. The European Parliament and Council have agreed that the Commission could at most be informed about decisions taken at this level. The Commission would have liked the right of scrutiny regarding the increasing restrictions that are putting a brake on airline freight (particularly night flights). The rapporteur on the issue, Jörg Leichtfried (S&D, Austria) has indicated that the Commission will not have the right “to block or amend anything”. The appropriate authorities will be obliged to inform the Commission before transposing the new measures. The Commission will then have three months to respond. The regulation is expected to be transposed over the next two years but ongoing mediation processes could still take a year. The rapporteur highlighted the fact that “health aspects that were previously absent have now been included in the regulation”. The health impact is expected to be examined as part of the anti-noise decisions and it is planned that, every year, 25% fewer noisy aeroplanes will be able to fly. The agreement also states that the Commission will formulate new proposals in this connection as part of the “noise management in the environment directive”. Coreper is expected to ratify this provisional agreement on Friday and the Parliamentary committee is expected to do so on 11 February, to allow for adoption in the April plenary. The regulation may be directly published in the Official Journal, without having to wait for the adoption of other chapters in the airport package on baggage handling services and hourly slots, which are much more controversial issues. (MD/transl.fl)