EU Noise policy

In 1996 a EU commission Green paper entitled Future noise policy - COM(96)540 concluded that up to 170 million citizens of the EU were living in areas where the noise levels caused serious annoyance during daytime. This has been the driving force for EC policy aimed at reducing and limiting noise emitted into the environment.

This policy developed into Community Noise Research Strategy Plan, (CALM), which is the new thematic network that defines the strategic plan for future noise research which is required to promote EU wide noise reduction.

The EU Machinery Directives

As a result of EU noise policy and development of the new approach initiative to standardization within the EU, UK machinery industry has been subjected to a number of EC directives. Two of which require manufactures to measure noise emission of machinery.

Firstly the machinery directive (98/37/EC) was introduced, and covered safety aspects of a large range of machines. More recently, the The Noise Emission in the Environment by Equipment for Use Outdoors Directive (2000/14/EC), or the 'outdoor machinery directive', was introduced. Unlike the machinery directive, this directive requires many categories of machinery to comply with noise limits and all the machines are required to display a label showing a guaranteed noise Level.

Many of the test methods for the noise measurements are machine specific but are generally based on methods set out in ISO standards for the determination of sound power level. Most commonly, the methods are based on ISO 3744.

Further Information

Guidance on these EC directives and other UK product regulation may be obtained from STRD4, which is part of the of the DTI.

Here is Further information on International Standards Organization

Here is the Calm network homepage and further information on the European New Approach

More on the green (and white) papers are found at: European Commission

Overview of the Standards >>