EU Environmental Noise Directive

With the EU Environmental Noise Directive 2002/49/EC (in short END), all member states of the EU commit themselves to carry out the following three activities at least every 5 years (from 2007, 2012, ...):

  1. Noise mapping: The establishment of an inventory of noise affecting the population in residential areas. Noise maps shall be drawn up showing where noise pollution is particularly high and where "quiet areas" can be found.
  2. Noise action planning: Public participation in noise action planning is based on noise maps and joint noise action plans are drawn up. The noise action plans contain measures for noise abatement and for the protection of quiet areas.
  3. Information: Member States shall provide the public with the best possible information on noise exposure and effects.

"In Deutschland werden diese Aufgaben nicht von einer einzigen Behörde wahrgenommen, sondern von weit über 1.000 Behörden: eine Handvoll Bundesbehörden, Dutzende Landesbehörden und viele tausend kommunale Ämter."1 Martin Jaeske

  1. In Germany, these tasks are not performed by a single authority, but by well over 1,000 authorities: a handful of federal authorities, dozens of state authorities and many thousands of municipal offices.  ↩