Brussels, 10/12/2002 (Agence Europe) - During its last plenary session in Strasbourg, the European Parliament adopted in third reading (414 votes to 31 with 31 abstentions) the report by Danish Social Democrat Helle Thorning-Schmidt on the common project approved by conciliation committee on the directive concerning minimum safety and health norms with regards workers' protection against noise. The EP and Council delegations reached an agreement on this draft directive that sets out employer obligations and fixes a reduced daily exposure limit of 87 dB, which is below that provided for in the current legislation (see EUROPE of 28/29 October, p.14).
Welcoming the fact that noise is at last recognised as "a serious problem for many workers", Helle Thorning-Schmidt noted that the directive "will make a real difference in the everyday life of many industrial and factory workers" as it "sets a maximum level of noise to which workers may be exposed". This, says the rapporteur, means that "individual Member States will thus have the possibility of setting lower levels. The obligations of employers are strengthened". She went on to add that, "From now on, employers are required first and foremost to find ways of preventing high levels of noise. Hearing protection should only be used as a last resort". Ms Thorning-Schmidt pointed out, concerning the specific nature of the music and entertainment sector that "Member States will draw up, in consultation with the social partners, a code of conduct providing for practical guidelines to help workers in these sectors to meet the obligations laid down in the Directive".
Expressing a diametrically opposed view, British Conservative Philip Bushill-Matthews considers "this legislation is unnecessary and inappropriate as existing noise regulations in the UK have been well thought through". He went on to say: "the leisure industry has claimed that if this new legislation is properly enforced then music in pubs will effectively be banned and bar staff will have to wear ear-muffs". He said that, three British ministers took part in the discussions with the EP on this legislation "which may explain why the UK government has given such a limp response to it". According to Mr Bushill-Matthews, "coming two weeks after the EP approved the Atypical Workers Directive, where extra costs and red tape could mean the loss of 160,000 temporary worker jobs in the UK alone, this latest directive shows once again that the EU operates in a time-warp when it comes to employment and social legislation".