![]() It places an obligation on EU Member States to assess noise levels by producing strategic noise maps for all major roads, railways, airports and urban areas. It defines environmental noise as ‘unwanted or harmful outdoor sound created by human activities, including noise emitted by means of transport, road traffic, rail traffic, air traffic, and from sites of industrial activity’ (EU, 2002). ![]() The Environmental Noise Directive (END) is the main EU instrument through which land-based noise emissions are monitored and actions developed. Environmental noise causes approximately 16 600 cases of premature death in Europe each year, with almost 32 million adults estimated to suffer annoyance and over 13 million adults estimated to suffer sleep disturbance (ETC-ACM, 2016). Environmental noise exposure can lead to annoyance, stress reactions, sleep disturbance, poor mental health and wellbeing, impaired cognitive function in children, and negative effects on the cardiovascular and metabolic system. The WHO (2011) has identified noise from transport as the second most significant environmental cause of ill health in Western Europe, the first being air pollution from fine particulate matter ( AIRS_PO3.1, 2018). The 7th EAP (EU, 2013) includes an objective to significantly decrease noise pollution by 2020, moving closer to WHO recommended levels. It is therefore unlikely that noise pollution will decrease significantly by 2020. This is likely to continue in the future, with transport demand set to increase, including road transport, and with predicted increases in aircraft noise. Efforts to reduce the noise from individual sources are being offset by continuing migration to urban areas and increases in vehicle traffic. Where comparable, reported data suggest that noise exposure levels remained relatively stable between 20. As a result of such exposure to noise, approximately 16 600 cases of premature death occur each year in Europe, predominately from road traffic. During the night period, about 70 million people were estimated to be exposed in the EU to road traffic noise levels exceeding the Lnight indicator threshold. ![]() For example, in 2012 - the year for which the most recent data have been compiled - approximately 100 million people in the EU were estimated to be exposed to road traffic noise levels exceeding the Lden indicator threshold. Data reported under the Directive indicate that noise remains a major environmental health problem in Europe. These thresholds do not correspond directly to the WHO recommended values and currently there is no mechanism in place for tracking progress against the latter values. Exposure to outdoor noise is monitored under the Environmental Noise Directive (END) against two thresholds an indicator for the day, evening and night periods (Lden) that measures exposure to noise levels associated with ‘annoyance’ and an indicator for night periods (Lnight) that is designed to assess sleep disturbance. The Seventh Environment Action Programme (7th EAP) includes an objective that noise pollution in the EU should be decreased significantly by 2020, moving closer to World Health Organization (WHO) recommended levels. ![]()
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