T&E gave feedback on the Balanced Approach Regulation, stressing the importance of meeting its objectives:
Operating restrictions are the main effective and swift tool available for noise mitigation needed to fulfill national and airport-level targets. Operational procedure choices mainly affect the distribution of noise, without necessarily reducing the total noise exposure.
Land-use planning is an instrument with long-term timelines, often conflicting with pressures on local authorities to provide more housing. Reduction at source, relating to fleet renewal, also follows longer timelines as it can be dependent on updates to ICAO standards occurring in phases lasting beyond five years.
In experience thus far, the Balanced Approach procedure risks slowing down effective responses to noise problems, allowing excessive noise exposure of local populations to continue over years, while delaying immediate responses to protect the health of people such as operating restrictions to reduce noise at night.
Citizens health must be protected and prioritised, which requires that there be better accounting for the societal and sometimes hidden economic costs of airport noise.
The findings of several studies show that prioritising quality over quantity, by optimising the economic and societal value of the network rather than maximising the volume of flights, is compatible with meaningful noise protection. Such substantive arguments should be better reflected in a more accurate and complete consideration of the costs and benefits of operating restrictions.
Competent Authorities have emphasised that the legislation should not hinder or undermine the location-specific, longstanding and pre-existing approaches to noise management, which are well understood and considered effective by many stakeholder groups. Respect for democratic processes and compliance with national legislation should be the starting point for any Balanced Approach procedures, rather than being undermined.
Experiences with the Balanced Approach Regulation to date in France and in the Netherlands have shown that its implementation and functioning have not been optimal, impairing the effective achievement of its objectives. In view of the new procedures being initiated in Belgium and Portugal, fully considering and prioritising operating restrictions; optimising the societal value of the airport network within limits compatible with noise protection; and respecting national laws and democratic processes, can better facilitate the realisation of noise abatement and health goals, and enable the use of operating restrictions as a key tool to achieve sustainable airport network capacity.
See T&E's official submission here.
