39.3 Legislation

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The World Health Organization (WHO) published the historic “Guidelines for Community Noise” in

2000, which has been accepted as the most significant recommendations for noise exposure criteria.

The bodies that are responsible for enacting the regulations as law include the Federal Government in

the USA, the European Union (EU) in Europe, and the Japanese Government in Japan. In the

following, the EU’s legislation on noise immission is shown, as an example of the flow of legislation

process [8].

On July 18th, 2002, a European Directive on the assessment and management of environmental noise

was published in the Official Journal of European Communities. It was required to be implemented in the

national legislation of the EU Member States no later than July 18th, 2004. From then on, a program was

to start, containing periodic noise mapping, the making of action plans, and information of the public.

The directive also has strengthened the position of the European Commission regarding the reduction of

noise emission.

In 2002, the development of the European Directive on environmental noise resulted in an approved

directive relating to the assessment and management of environmental noise, for which the acronym

“DAMEN” is used. According to Article 1 of the DAMEN its objective is to “define a common approach

to avoid, prevent or reduce harmful effects, including annoyance, due to exposure to environmental

noise.” A rough description of actions in the DAMEN is shown in Figure 39.1. Brief notes are given next

to supplement Figure 39.1.

39-2 Vibration and Shock Handbook

© 2005 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

39.3.1 Action Plans

In a case where the mapping results are such that they violate the local or national limit value, or are

found unsatisfactory for other reasons, action plans shall be developed for the improvement of the

situation. These action plans shall be discussed with the citizens involved. A summary of the action plans

shall be sent to the European Commission.

39.3.2 Publication of Data by the European Commission

Every five years, starting in 2009, the Commission shall publish a summary report from the noise maps

and the action plans.

39.3.3 Proposal for Further European Union Action

In 2004, the European Commission was to submit a report to the European Parliament and the Council

containing a review of existing EU measures relating to sources of environmental noise and present

proposals for improvement, if appropriate. In 2009, the European Commission will submit to the

European Parliament and the Council a report on the implementation of the directive. That report will in

particular assess the need for further EU action and, if appropriate, propose implementing strategies on

aspects such as:

* Long-term and medium-term goals for the reduction of the number of persons harmfully affected

by environmental noise

* Additional measures on noise emission by specific sources

* The protection of quiet areas on the open country

HARMONIZATION OF NOISE

INDICATORS AND ASSESSMENT

METHODS

LIMIT VALUES

(optional; set by the Member States)

NOISE MAPS for major agglomerations, roads, railways and airports

REPORT

(European Commission)

ACTION PLANS INFORMATION/CONSULTATION

of the PUBLIC

European Council and European

Parliament

PROPOSALS for:

1. Further EU actions, particularly on

NOISE SOURCES

2. Protection of QUIET AREAS IN

OPEN COUNTRY

FIGURE 39.1 Overview of the DAMEN. (Source: Wolde, T.T. 2003. The European Union’s legislation on noise

immission, pp. 4367 – 4371. In Proceedings of Inter-noise 2003 (N832). With permission.)

Noise Control Criteria and Regulations 39-3

© 2005 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

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