Brussels, 27/02/2002 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday, Parliament and Council managed to close the gap between their opinions on the framework directive relating to the assessment and management of ambient noise. According to the terms of the agreement resulting from conciliation procedure, the directive will not only aim to establish a cartography of the noise for all the large urban agglomerations of the Union, on the basis of common methods and indicators (intended to measure the annoyance felt by inhabitants day and night), but also to provide a frame for future Community measures to reduce noise from the main sources of noise pollution - mainly road vehicles, trains, road and rail infrastructures, aircraft, industrial equipment used in the open air, and mobile machinery.
The compromise text provides that, at the latest four years after the directive takes effect, the Commission will present "daughter directive" proposals bearing in mind the results of an assessment report on the existing Community measures (that will have been established at the latest eighteen months after the directive takes effect). The agreement must still be confirmed by the two institutions so that the directive may be formally adopted.