• European Parliament vote for quieter vehicles a sound investment

    After three postponements (1), the Environment Committee of the European Parliament has voted for tighter future noise limits for vehicles. The standards of future noise limit values was accepted in a tight vote defeating an alternative proposal that would have allowed much louder sports cars, buses and trucks onto the road.

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    Reducing noise from vehicles is a public health imperative, with nearly half of all EU citizens exposed to road traffic noise over the level the World Health Organisation (WHO) considers to pose a serious risk to health.

    T&E policy officer Cécile Toubeau commented: “Today’s vote shows that MEPs support smart rules to cut vehicle noise, despite intense pressure from manufacturers.”

    Following the vote Mr. Ouzký (who is steering the legislation through Parliament) disappointingly announced he would not now seek agreement with the co-legislators and instead repeat the vote in a full Parliament Plenary.
     
    Ms Toubeau added: “The Environment Committee has voted for a quieter life. But the vote means these less noisy vehicles won’t even begin to be on the road for another 7 years. The Commission proposal is already a year old. The Parliament should not introduce yet more delays and should commence negotiations with European Commission and Council immediately.”